Highrise ethanol tank exploded, killing three in Khon Kaen

 

 

KHON KAEN: -- Three people were killed after a  20-metre high ethanol tank in the ethanol production factory of Thai Nguan Ethanol Public Company Limited in None Sila district of Khon Kaen province exploded this morning.

 

Ban Phai charity rescue team said two persons died on the ground and another body was stuck on the lid of the ethanol after the blast.

 

He was believed also killed, a rescue worker said while calling in crane to the scene to pluck the body from the lid late this morning.

 

The incident happened at about 9.30am today.

 

The rescue team said the three men were going up the ethanol tank to repair it’s lid with electric welder.

 

Full story: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/highrise-ethanol-tank-exploded-killing-three-khon-kaen/

 

-- © Copyright Thai PBS 2016-09-12

 

I wonder if Prayut can fix the safety standards in Thailand as he claims he fixed everything else

Large ethanol storage tank and an electric welder,,,   What could possibly go wrong???

 

Come on Somchai, let's go weld on top of a Ethanol tank with vapours still in it. Stupid is as stupid does. 

copy cats

happens in the 'safest' countries, too:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zkNJJbeU5Pg

almost identical scenario.

 

Workers at least need to be taught to ask questions before putting hot flame to tanks, drums, bombs or whatever container they are working on.

Who would have guessed this plan would end badly

It is the same as checking a gas leak using a lighter or matches. What is very normal in Thailand. I even witnessed it, telling not to use any fire or smoke a cigaret , when I was smelling gas in a restaurant in Bangkok, resulting in an explosion and fire... "Brains and Thailand" is the same as "Safety First in Thailand".

1 minute ago, FredNL said:

It is the same as checking a gas leak using a lighter or matches. What is very normal in Thailand. I even witnessed it, telling not to use any fire or smoke a cigaret , when I was smelling gas in a restaurant in Bangkok, resulting in an explosion and fire... "Brains and Thailand" is the same as "Safety First in Thailand".

 

FACE Safety first, to be more precise.

I remember a refinery explosion in Oz where work was being done on a new reactor vessel. Another crew arrived and were issues a work and flame permit on the OLD reactor, still full of fumes, simply because 2 operators didn't read the paperwork properly. 2 dead.

And for anybody old enough to remember, there was the 1974 Flixborough in the UK, caused by engineering ignorance. A chemical engineer doing a mechanical engineer's job had a bypass pipe installed with an expansion bellows without support. 28 dead.

Stupidity exists outside Thailand.

Happens even in the so called clever countries too. I was once employed to follow petrol tankers to ensure they followed the road rules and discharged their loads at service stations as per the safety rules. I would then depart and go back to the refinery terminal to pick up the next tanker that left. One day I followed this tanker some 50kms along the freeway etc and observed him discharge his load. I left as he was walking to the office to complete the paperwork and I dove as fast as I could back to the refinery. I had just parked my car to wait for the next tanker when the tanker I had followed arrived back at the refinery. I completed my report and mentioned this fact. The company was not interested even though I reminded them that empty tankers make a bigger bang than full ones and I knew I was technically speeding all my way back so the tanker must have been well over the  speed limit of 100km ph on his return trip. I figure brains are scattered evenly all over the planet.

 

Stupidity might exist outside Thailand, but they've brought it to an art form.

6 hours ago, manfredtillmann said:

copy cats

happens in the 'safest' countries, too:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zkNJJbeU5Pg

almost identical scenario.

 

 

 

True of course.

 

On the other hand I'm aware of an incident at a big oil refinery near Rayong several years ago.

 

A site supervisor caught a workman from an outside maintenance company smoking right alongside one of the major production vessels. A couple of hours earlier the maint. attended a compulsory awareness and safety briefing and test.

 

The guy who got caught smoking was quite pissed off, he claimed that it was OK for him to smoke because his brother worked for the oil company concerned.

7 hours ago, aussieinthailand said:

Large ethanol storage tank and an electric welder,,,   What could possibly go wrong???

 

mai bpen rai
baw bpen yang

meh

7 hours ago, apalink_thailand said:

Come on Somchai, let's go weld on top of a Ethanol tank with vapours still in it. Stupid is as stupid does. 

Not any more. 

9 hours ago, shirtless said:

I wonder if Prayut can fix the safety standards in Thailand as he claims he fixed everything else

I am sure the safety standards in Thailand are fine. The real problem

is enforcing the standard.

11 hours ago, aussieinthailand said:

Large ethanol storage tank and an electric welder,,,   What could possibly go wrong???

 

 

Hold on, Ozzie, don't you know that Thai electricity is different?

18 hours ago, shirtless said:

I wonder if Prayut can fix the safety standards in Thailand as he claims he fixed everything else

i wonder if they torched their welding equipment without due safety precautions.

7 hours ago, arrowsdawdle said:

 

Hold on, Ozzie, don't you know that Thai electricity is different?

the torch is the same. maybe somebody forgot that.

11 hours ago, Bluespunk said:

Not any more. 

hope it is not repeated and we some lessons are learnt from the fiasco. but we humans tend to forget over period of time and occurrences like that repeat. not unique to thailand only thought. can happen any where.

11 hours ago, scorecard said:

 

 

True of course.

 

On the other hand I'm aware of an incident at a big oil refinery near Rayong several years ago.

 

A site supervisor caught a workman from an outside maintenance company smoking right alongside one of the major production vessels. A couple of hours earlier the maint. attended a compulsory awareness and safety briefing and test.

 

The guy who got caught smoking was quite pissed off, he claimed that it was OK for him to smoke because his brother worked for the oil company concerned.

presumed confidence can be our downfall in many cases. there is no alternative for safety measures and guides. they have been in place because of previous incidents and experiences.

14 hours ago, monkey4u said:

Who would have guessed this plan would end badly

is it karma? you cannot escape it. it shrouds thinking and make us do some unbelievable tasks.

12 hours ago, lungnorm said:

Happens even in the so called clever countries too. I was once employed to follow petrol tankers to ensure they followed the road rules and discharged their loads at service stations as per the safety rules. I would then depart and go back to the refinery terminal to pick up the next tanker that left. One day I followed this tanker some 50kms along the freeway etc and observed him discharge his load. I left as he was walking to the office to complete the paperwork and I dove as fast as I could back to the refinery. I had just parked my car to wait for the next tanker when the tanker I had followed arrived back at the refinery. I completed my report and mentioned this fact. The company was not interested even though I reminded them that empty tankers make a bigger bang than full ones and I knew I was technically speeding all my way back so the tanker must have been well over the  speed limit of 100km ph on his return trip. I figure brains are scattered evenly all over the planet.

 

very well summed up.

Its not karma

Just plain stupidity

15 hours ago, AWillOz said:

Workers at least need to be taught to ask questions before putting hot flame to tanks, drums, bombs or whatever container they are working on.

how did their supervisor let them proceed on this procedure.

Part of my job includes accident investigation, when there is one. More often than not these accidents are completely avoidable and often due to bad job planning (also just laziness) and lack of proper risk assessment.

13 hours ago, Ulic said:

I am sure the safety standards in Thailand are fine. The real problem

is enforcing the standard.

THIS is a big part of the problem, plus macho attitudes and companies that dont want to hire professional safety people. I was watching a construction site from my brothers balcony the other night where workers were lowering large steel structural beams down into the foundation area below ground. One worker was standing on a fixed beam to help "guide" the load. No fall protection at all (normal in Thailand, it seems) but when he stood on one leg, balancing on the existing beam and using his other leg to try an push/guide the beam, I was stunned. It was at least a 4 meter drop to the ground below.