Event
- Event ID
- 617
- Quality
- Description
- The accident occurred on the hopper fine powders from a pair of cyclones (the hopper is the bottom conical part of the cyclone collecting the powder/dust separated from gas phase).
A bursting disc ruptured on the hopper., releasing ethylene and hydrogen gases, followed by a flash and explosion. Two men were injured. - Event Initiating system
- Classification of the physical effects
- Hydrogen Release and Ignition
- Nature of the consequences
- Macro-region
- Africa
- Date
- Root causes
- Unknown (No additional details provided)
Facility
- Application
- Chemical Industry
- Sub-application
- unspecified
- Hydrogen supply chain stage
- All components affected
- bursting disc, hopper, cyclone
- Location type
- Open
- Location description
- Industrial Area
- Operational condition
- Pre-event occurrences
- Apparently, the event occurred during normal operation
Emergency & Consequences
- Number of injured persons
- 2
- Number of fatalities
- 0
- Post-event summary
- Two men received 2nd degree burns over 25% body surface.
Lesson Learnt
- Lesson Learnt
- According to the ICHEME report (see references), the recommendations/ issued were:
1. Fit a "stack" to the disc stub, to direct any emission away from personnel.
2. Automate operations as far as practicable to minimise operator/equipment interaction.
Event Nature
- Release type
- gas mixture
- Involved substances (% vol)
- C2H4
H2 - Presumed ignition source
- Not reported
- Flame type
- Other
References
- Reference & weblink
Event nr 4109 of the UK database ICHEME in PDF format<br />
https://www.icheme.org/knowledge/safety-centre/resources/accident-data/… />
(accessed October 2020)<br />
JRC assessment
- Sources categories
- ICHEME
