re: Survivors of deadly DeRidder paper mill explosion awarded $104,000,000

quote:

---

I’ll just comment on the wtf moment as far as the lockout procedure went


How does no one not realize that there’s a level in that tank before even working on it? Or why wasn’t there a fire blanket at minimum?

---

They weren’t working on the tank, they were working on a line that passed above the tank. But you’re right that there should have been a fire blanket (although according to the video, the CSB wasn’t able to conclude whether falling slag actually started the fire).

Perhaps the most puzzling question for me is why a tank that can potentially fill with turpentine wasn’t designed with blanket gas, which would have prevented the flammable atmosphere in the first place.

As usual it takes a cascade of failures and poor decisions to lead to an outcome like this.
- Turpentine isn’t skimmed out of the vessel due to poor operating discipline.
- Tank cools and sucks in air through the vacuum relief valve due to poor design.
- Hot work permit issued without considering the potential for a fire hazard inside the tank; poor planning.
- No fire blankets to prevent sparks/slag from falling on the tank; also poor planning.