Explosion in Avonmouth (1 Viewer)

clint van damme · Dec 3, 2020

at least 4 dead.
Chemical tank exploded apparently. Hope there's no more casualties but it doesn't sound promising.

David O'Day · Dec 3, 2020

exploding shit, ewwww

OffenhamSkyBlue · Dec 3, 2020

Seemingly not chemical-related. Was material from an anaerobic digestion tank (i.e. human waste), so likely build-up of methane etc. Something clearly went badly wrong, but fires in these things are not uncommon.

SomersetSB · Dec 3, 2020

Being a local to this,Eyewitnesses on HTV west said the four guys were on top when the explosion happened poor souls no chance.
One person seriously injured too.

OffenhamSkyBlue · Dec 4, 2020

I'd be interested to know what they were doing up there. Clearly some type of maintenance (as one of them was an external contractor) - soldering something close to a methane build-up, maybe? Obvs that is just speculation, but spontaneous combustion is a more remote possibility.
The HSE will be looking at the risk assessment for what they were doing fairly carefully, i'd imagine.

Very sad. No-one should come to work and not go home in this day and age.

lordy_87 · Dec 5, 2020

One of them a 16 year old lad. Very sad

BackRoomRummermill · Dec 6, 2020

My guess they opened a hatch or access point to quickly and massive pressure release , no fire etc just pure pressure . Like opening a bottle of shaken lemonade on a massive scale . There should have been a permit to work to follow the job method releasing pressure in a controlled manner .

SomersetSB · Dec 6, 2020

Heard this afternoon off a mate who’s brother in law is OB and went there that they were using a grinder to cut metal on the top.

BackRoomRummermill · Dec 6, 2020

it only takes a small hole to go pop , again permit to work should have detailed the work area and identified the exact part of the plant to be worked on , and how the pressure released , purged to atmosphere prior to work commencing , it’s basic stuff I have been involved with this type of activity for 35 years

SomersetSB · Dec 6, 2020

BackRoomRummermill said:
it only takes a small hole to go pop , again permit to work should have detailed the work area and identified the exact part of the plant to be worked on , and how the pressure released , purged to atmosphere prior to work commencing , it’s basic stuff I have been involved with this type of activity for 35 years

I’m sure Wessex water would have all this in place before work commenced?
I’m sure the HSE will leave no stone unturned in their investigation along with Wessex water.
RIP so sad.

OffenhamSkyBlue · Dec 7, 2020

It’sabatch87 said:
Heard this afternoon off a mate who’s brother in law is OB and went there that they were using a grinder to cut metal on the top.

Yep that would do it.

I would think that an organisation the size of Wessex Water (with no prosecutions or improvement notices in the past 10 years) would have safe systems of work in place. The key thing to investigate is whether they were being followed, or whether the management exercised sufficient oversight of the contractor's activities.

Explosion in Avonmouth (1 Viewer)

clint van damme

Well-Known Member

David O'Day

Well-Known Member

OffenhamSkyBlue

Well-Known Member

SomersetSB

Well-Known Member

OffenhamSkyBlue

Well-Known Member

lordy_87

Well-Known Member

BackRoomRummermill

Well-Known Member

SomersetSB

Well-Known Member

BackRoomRummermill

Well-Known Member

SomersetSB

Well-Known Member

OffenhamSkyBlue

Well-Known Member

Users who are viewing this thread

Explosion in Avonmouth (1 Viewer)

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Users who are viewing this thread

Privacy & Transparency

Privacy & Transparency