| Case Name |
Fire in an alcohol container which fell in a workshop and contents ignited with heat |
| Pictograph |
|
| Date |
November 28, 1992 |
| Place |
Imaichi, Tochigi, Japan |
| Location |
Food factory |
| Overview |
On November 28th, 1992, a container of ethanol was lifted up above a distillation drum with a hoist at a soy sauce manufacturer in Tochigi prefecture. One of the four hooks came off and the container fell onto the floor. The ethanol spilled and was ignited by an oil heater. |
| Incident |
A container of ethanol fell at a soy source manufacturer. The spilled ethanol was ignited by a heater and a fire started. Refer to Fig2. |
| Processing |
Manufacture |
| Individual Process |
Feeding and charging |
| Substance |
Ethanol, Fig3 |
| Type of Accident |
Leakage, fire |
| Sequence |
A container of ethanol was being lifted above a distillation drum using a hoist at a soy sauce manufacturer. One of four hooks came off and the container fell onto the floor. The ethanol spilled and was ignited by an oil heater. |
| Cause |
One of four hooks of the platform came off and ethanol container fell onto the floor. |
| Response |
The fire was extinguished by public fire fighters. The company's private fire brigade did not function. |
| Countermeasures |
Construction of facilities for dangerous materials. Thorough education. |
| Knowledge Comment |
Accidents can take place if a hazardous material is inappropriately handled continuously for a long period. Safety cannot be secured by the attention of workers alone, and appropriate facilities management is necessary. |
| Background |
Lifting an open-mouthed container of ethanol with a hoist over an oil heater is hazardous. Serious failure of management. |
| Reason for Adding to DB |
Example of fire caused due to careless handling of liquid combustibles |
| Scenario |
| Primary Scenario
|
Poor Value Perception, Poor Safety Awareness, Inadequate Risk Recognition, Organizational Problems, Poor Management, Not Consider the Site Condition, Planning and Design, Poor Planning, Poor Design of Working Environment, Malicious Act, Rule Violation, Safety Rule Violation, Secondary Damage, External Damage, Fire, Bodily Harm, Injury, 5 person burnt, Loss to Organization, Economic Loss, Direct Monetary Damage 50 million yen
|
|
| Sources |
Outlines of significant accidents in 1992. Safety yearbook. p.222.
Fire and Disaster Management Agency. Major cases of accidents. Alcohol fire that caused when container of alcohol fell and alcohol was ignited by a heater. Accident cases of dangerous materials. pp.33, 448-450.
|
| Number of Injuries |
5 |
| Physical Damage |
A factory building totally burned. Tanks, machinery, lighting facilities, electric installations, etc. were damaged by fire. |
| Financial Cost |
¥39 million. (Accident cases of dangerous materials) |
| Multimedia Files |
Fig2.Schematic diagram
|
|
Fig3.Chemical formula
|
| Field |
Chemicals and Plants
|
| Author |
YOSHINAGA, Jun (Graduate School of New Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo)
TAMURA, Masamitsu (Center for Risk Management and Safety Sciences, Yokohama National University)
|
