| Case Name |
Explosion of a methanol recovery residue at an organic peroxide manufacturing plant |
| Pictograph |
|
| Date |
October 27, 1995 |
| Place |
Harima, Hyogo, Japan |
| Location |
Chemical factory |
| Overview |
A liquid residue was left at the bottom, while methanol was recovered from the filtrate that contained organic peroxide. The residue contained mainly methanol including a very small amount of organic peroxide. The methanol in the residue had evaporated because the steam valve for heat insulation was slightly opened. The peroxide was concentrated, decomposed, and exploded. Lack of hazard recognition seems to be a cause. |
| Incident |
At an organic peroxide manufacturing plant, methanol was recovered by distillation from filtrate that contained a very small amount of organic peroxide. The residue that had been left overnight exploded. |
| Processing |
Manufacture |
| Individual Process |
Distillation |
| Substance |
Methanol, Fig2 |
| Organic peroxide |
| Type of Accident |
Explosion, fire |
| Sequence |
1. On October 26th, 1995, methanol was recovered by distillation from filtrate that contained a very small amount of organic peroxide.
2. Just after 22:00, distillation finished and a liquid residue was left at the bottom. The steam valve for heat insulation was not perfectly closed.
3. A bottom temperature rose due to a leak of steam, and methanol evaporated. The peroxide in the methanol was concentrated, and the bottom temperature rose.
4. At about 04:45 on October 27th, an explosion occurred at the bottom of a distillation column and the bottom was damaged. Evaporated and diffused methanol caught a fire. |
| Cause |
The cause was unfinished treatment of the residue. Peroxide was left in the residual methanol and supply of a heating medium was not stopped. It was natural for the peroxide to be concentrated by methanol evaporation at a higher temperature, and decomposition occurred. |
| Countermeasures |
Improvement in the operation method.
Change of a heating medium to warm water from steam to lower the temperature of the heating medium.
Adding a temperature control system.
Review of the safety management system and enhancement of education and training. |
| Knowledge Comment |
Unfinished treatment of chemical substance caused the accident. The operation should not be interrupted until safe conditions are achieved. |
| Background |
What caused the condition described in the column "cause"? Although it was not clear whether the operation standard was insufficient or whether the operator made an error, it has to be true that there was insufficient study prior to operation and insufficient education on work. It is speculated that recognition of the hazards on handling organic peroxide was very poor. |
| Reason for Adding to DB |
Example of explosion caused due to concentration of a very small amount of peroxide by distillation |
| Scenario |
| Primary Scenario
|
Organizational Problems, Poor Management, Slackness of Management, Poor Value Perception, Poor Safety Awareness, Inadequate Risk Recognition, Misjudgment, Misperception, Mis-convincement, Regular Operation, Erroneous Operation, Wrong Operation, Bad Event, Chemical Phenomenon, Concentration, Abnormal Reaction, Secondary Damage, External Damage, Explosion, Loss to Organization, Economic Loss, Manetary Damage 100 million yen
|
|
| Sources |
Fire and Disaster Management Agency. Explosion at a tank in an organic peroxide manufacturing plant. Accident cases of dangerous materials. 1995 pp.80-82.
Explosion in methanol recovery tank. Industry and Protection. Vol.1. No.4. p.6(1995)
|
| Physical Damage |
S-5 factory was destroyed by fire. S-4 and S-1 factories were slightly damaged. Two buildings in neighborhood were damaged |
| Financial Cost |
¥ 100 million. (Fire and Disaster Management Agency) |
| Multimedia Files |
Fig2.Chemical formula
|
| Field |
Chemicals and Plants
|
| Author |
KOBAYASHI, Mitsuo (Office K)
TAMURA, Masamitsu (Center for Risk Management and Safety Sciences, Yokohama National University)
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