Washington Gas Tank Explosion

[GoNRA 12]

http://www.dailyrecord.com/article/2010 ... Newton-man

 

OMG!!! why would you saw a 2000 gallon gas storage tank?

 

I'm pretty sure a saw on metal would create sparks..

[chefhunter34 1]

Very sad, but they walk among us.

[tommy3rd 132]

I don't mean to sound callous, but isn't this Darwinism at work? in other words - what were they thinking?

[PK90 3,573]

... OMG!!! why would you saw a 2000 gallon gas storage tank? ...

To make a swimin pool fur da kids.

[GoNRA 12]

... OMG!!! why would you saw a 2000 gallon gas storage tank? ...

To make a swimin pool fur da kids.

 

ohh man that's bad

[tony357 386]

They were probably after any residual fuel in the tank.. :roll:

 

money makes people do stupid things..

[67gtonut 847]

You cant fix stupid....

[djg0770 481]

And you thought Pineys only lived SOUTH of the Raritan.

[Malsua 1,422]

Seriously? Who grinds into a gas tank?

 

There's stupid and there's colossal idiocy. This is even worse than that.

[kenw 293]

Just think of it as self-policing the gene pool. It should happen more often.

[tony357 386]

Seriously? Who grinds into a gas tank?

 

There's stupid and there's colossal idiocy. This is even worse than that.

 

back in the early 80's i remeber someone trying to weld a gas tank that exploded..

[tony357 386]

seems to be rampid.. could stupid be a disease :?:

 

http://www.hotrodders.com/forum/welding ... 19062.html

 

hope I am not out of line by bringing up a subject that was being discussed in general rodding tech about welding on gas tanks but this one hits a nerve with me because I had a friend die a terrible death and every time someone mentions welding on a gas tank those visions of that terrible day come back. Seems this fellow was using the common and VERY misguided trick of purging a tank with exhaust gas from a gasoline engine to make it "safe" to weld on! This was a diesel fuel tank that in all probability would not have exploded if he had not purged it at all but he did and the exhaust fumes exploded and killed him, he lived for several hours but eventually died from the burns. Being in the welding and mine machinery repair business for many years I personally know of three accidents that have occurred from doing this including the one that killed my friend, the other two guys were luckier and only received injuries although one of these was quite serious. The IMSHA investigator that investigated the fatal accident I mentioned at the mine said that he had seen several accidents caused by purging with exhaust gas including another fatality and that it happens more often than you might think, more so in the auto repair business than at a mine. This all too common myth still persists because some people think that exhaust gas is "dead air" (whatever that means ) and is an inert gas but nothing could be farther from the truth and exhaust gas is quite explosive when mixed with the right amount of Oxygen from the air. I have attempted to argue this point with several welders, one of which was later injured doing it, but usually with little success and it simply amazes me how common this dangerous and just plain stupid myth is. DON'T DO THIS! It can and does kill people!

[maideneddie 35]

I actually new the guy that died. He was real friendly and cool. What a terrible tradgedy. It is common practice to cut up old tanks. They just made the mistake of not letting it properly vent out before cutting it. Everyone is guilty of doing stupid stuff, fortunatley most of us are lucky. Sometimes the luck runs out though, then you have a situation like this.

[djg0770 481]

seems to be rampid.. could stupid be a disease :?:

 

I had never heard of purging with exhaust gas - that is serious stupid. I have heard of purging with CO2, Nitrogen or Argon.

 

 

Rampant is the word, not rampid.

[kenw 293]

Hey Mike,

 

Sorry about the loss of your friend.

[Malsua 1,422]

seems to be rampid.. could stupid be a disease :?:

 

I had never heard of purging with exhaust gas - that is serious stupid. I have heard of purging with CO2, Nitrogen or Argon.

 

Unfortunately, I have. I grew up on working farms and it was something I saw more than once. The neighbor used to rebuild trucks, fuel haulers, etc. The guy would take a rusted out POS tank and weld in modern valves and sell the trucks. I never thought about it much back then other than ask the question and was told because it pushes out the gas fumes.

[KpdPipes 388]

That sucks. Sorry about your friend. I had to investigate one years ago where a guy was welding on top of a storage tank, and the fumes of whatever was in there blew him onto the next one over when they exploded. I've also seen PSEG guys weld right on a live 12" Main..... talk about upped Pucker factor.

[djg0770 481]

That sucks. Sorry about your friend. I had to investigate one years ago where a guy was welding on top of a storage tank, and the fumes of whatever was in there blew him onto the next one over when they exploded. I've also seen PSEG guys weld right on a live 12" Main..... talk about upped Pucker factor.

 

 

Believe it or not, that is actually safer... In order to combust, air and fuel must be in the correct proportion. This is why your lawnmower won't start when the carburetor is flooded with gas.

[PeteF 1,044]

I don't mean to sound callous, but isn't this Darwinism at work? in other words - what were they thinking?

 

Beat me to it

 

Give me I match I think my gas tanks empty.

[KpdPipes 388]

That sucks. Sorry about your friend. I had to investigate one years ago where a guy was welding on top of a storage tank, and the fumes of whatever was in there blew him onto the next one over when they exploded. I've also seen PSEG guys weld right on a live 12" Main..... talk about upped Pucker factor.

 

 

Believe it or not, that is actually safer... In order to combust, air and fuel must be in the correct proportion. This is why your lawnmower won't start when the carburetor is flooded with gas.

 

Oh i understand that LOGICALLY...it still didnt stop the boys from trying to crawl up inside my abdomen as i stood there watching the welder sitting on the main as he tied in the pipe...

[djg0770 481]

That sucks. Sorry about your friend. I had to investigate one years ago where a guy was welding on top of a storage tank, and the fumes of whatever was in there blew him onto the next one over when they exploded. I've also seen PSEG guys weld right on a live 12" Main..... talk about upped Pucker factor.

 

 

Believe it or not, that is actually safer... In order to combust, air and fuel must be in the correct proportion. This is why your lawnmower won't start when the carburetor is flooded with gas.

 

Oh i understand that LOGICALLY...it still didnt stop the boys from trying to crawl up inside my abdomen as i stood there watching the welder sitting on the main as he tied in the pipe...

 

I'm with you...

[Blcklightning 11]

 

OMG!!! why would you saw a 2000 gallon gas storage tank?

 

I'm pretty sure a saw on metal would create sparks..

 

To make a nice big BBQ Smoker/Grill! :handgestures-thumbup:

 

A lot of guys will "wash" tanks out with soap and water multiple times and then cut them while they still have a lot of water in them. Even add dry ice to the water to have the CO2 fill the rest of the tank and push out the oxygen rich air.

[tony357 386]

 

OMG!!! why would you saw a 2000 gallon gas storage tank?

 

I'm pretty sure a saw on metal would create sparks..

 

To make a nice big BBQ Smoker/Grill! :handgestures-thumbup:

 

A lot of guys will "wash" tanks out with soap and water multiple times and then cut them while they still have a lot of water in them. Even add dry ice to the water to have the CO2 fill the rest of the tank and push out the oxygen rich air.

 

 

I think that one was a propane tank.. which sounds appropriate.

[Blcklightning 11]

They could have been cutting it up for scrap metal. To maybe make it easier to move.

The explosion also resulted in Michael Brodhecker's 2002 Ford F350 utility vehicle being totally destroyed.

There had to have been a decent amount of gasoline still in it if it burned down the truck too. One hell of a fireball. :shock:

[Redfish62 1]

seems to be rampid.. could stupid be a disease :?:

 

I had never heard of purging with exhaust gas - that is serious stupid. I have heard of purging with CO2, Nitrogen or Argon.

 

 

Rampant is the word, not rampid.

 

+1 I have welded and cut many fuel tanks and never had a problem.