Equipment World Digital Magazine
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/933470
EquipmentWorld.com | January 2018 57 safety watch | by Tom Jackson | TJackson@randallreilly.com F resh fallen snow. So pretty to look at, so deadly when drifts conceal danger. Six months before winter set in, a farmer changed his propane supplier. The supplier discon- nected the tank behind the home and moved it to the paved drive- way turnaround area in front of the home for pickup. But despite repeated calls, the old supplier failed to come out to the home and remove the old cylinder. The day and night prior to the accident, 14 inches of snow fell. Before first light, the victim and his son started clearing snow around the driveway and property using two front-end loaders. Investiga- tors suspect the depth of the snow and insufficient lighting in the area partially concealed the bottom of the propane tank. The victim made several passes with the loader, pushing snow off the edge of the turnaround area when he struck the cylinder on its end, resulting in an 8-inch by 1-inch gash on the end of the cylinder. The cylin- der released a cloud of propane gas, which was ignited by either the heat of the motor or a spark caused by the metal-on-metal con- tact when the cylinder was struck. Across the street, the victim's son saw the fireball, ran to the incident and found his father about 30 feet away from the loader lying in the snow. Emergency response teams arrived 20 minutes later. The victim was taken to the hospital, but died from his injuries the next day. How this accident could have been prevented: • When moving propane tanks to a different location, set the tank in an area away from traffic and vehicles. • Install protective fencing, barricades or posts to protect above-ground propane tanks from damage. • Identify and mark the propane tank's location using stakes, flags or poles. • Make sure the area around any propane tank is illuminated after dark. • Insist that propane tank suppli- ers remove disconnected tanks as soon as possible and remove any remaining gas from the discon- nected tank. Propane is heavier than air, and even an "empty" tank will often have some gas remaining at the bottom unless it has been evacuated. • Train employees on the safe place- ment, handling and operation of propane tanks including NFPA Part 58, Liquefied Petroleum Gas Code Section 6.6.1.2, Installation Guidelines; and Propane 101: bit. ly/propane101 For more information on this ac- cident see: bit.ly/SafetyWatch118 Date of safety talk: Leader: _____________________ Attending: Illustration by Don Lomax Winter's hidden hazards