Warehouse Explosion

A refrigerated Food Distribution Warehouse experienced damage due to an explosion in the refrigeration plant. During a routine maintenance operation for an ammonia storage tank, the handle came off a drain valve. The result was an ammonia leak which led to the evacuation of the building, flash ignition/explosion and severe building damage.

Most evidence indicated the valve failure was the cause of the accident. Upon a complete investigation, the origin and cause was determined to be improper operator training and failure to have operating instructions in accordance with OSHA Standards. The valve was only a contributing factor.
Process Results was retained to determine the cause and origin of the accident. The investigation included field work, photograph/video, document and code review, interviews and a summary report of our findings.