Massive explosions rocked a central Florida propane gas plant, sending seven people to area hospitals. All the workers at the plant were accounted for early Tuesday after officials initially could not account for more than a dozen employees.
As five workers at a Tavares gas plant were being treated Tuesday afternoon for critical injuries suffered in a massive explosion, federal authorities launched an investigation to determine the cause of the blasts and probe other safety issues.
At least eight people were injured as blasts ripped through the Blue Rhino facility in Lake County late Monday night, where workers refurbish old propane cylinders and refill them to sell again.
Early Tuesday morning, Tavares Fire Chief Richard Keith told reporters on scene that, "we don't think there was any act of sabotage or anything like that."
Instead, he said, the massive fire was likely due to an equipment or human error.
Firefighters and paramedics treated a total of nine patients late Monday and into Tuesday morning. Gov. Rick Scott, who was in Orlando to make a jobs announcement at the Golf Channel headquarters, was expected to visit the Blue Rhino site today and meet with first-responders, Lake County commissioners were told.
Five of those are in critical condition, according to Jerry Smith, Lake Emergency Medical Services interim executive director, who briefed commissioners mid-Tuesday morning.
One of those patients treated was not on staff at the plant but was treated for smoke inhalation.
The Occupational Safety & Health Administration opened an investigation into the incident, said U.S. Department of Labor spokesman Lindsay Williams.
"We don't have any details regarding the event. As is standard OSHA policy, OSHA has up to six months from the beginning of its investigation to issue its findings and determine whether any OSHA standards were violated," Williams said. "OSHA does not issue preliminary or interim reports, so we won't be able to comment on the investigation until the final report is issued."
Workers at the Blue Rhino plant take old propane cylinders, clean them, refurbish them, fill them and then package the tanks for shipping. It is one of roughly 60 licensed petroleum gas dealers licensed in Central Florida.
As of Monday, there were about 53,000, 20-pound propane tanks on site.
The fire came from those canisters, most of which ignited in the blaze. Due to the intensity of the flames, Keith said, firefighters had to let it burn itself out to some degree.
The three bulk tanks on the property ? which hold a total of 90,000 pounds of propane ? did not ignite in the fire, he said.
However, early Tuesday afternoon, an inspector found a small leak in one of those larger tanks, a city official said. Officials said it was under control and no cause for serious concern.
Still, authorities this afternoon confirmed they have to drain one of the roughly 30,000-gallon bulk tanks because it was damaged during the explosion.
Draining the tank will take about three to four hours. It was hit by something during the explosions and there is a leak on the top of the valve.
"The fact that those things didn't explode, that's the reason I go to church on Sunday," said Eric Wages, the battalion chief for the Tavares Fire station closest to the Blue Rhino plant.
One of those massive tanks had a black smudge, a sign it was hit by a flying 20-pound tank.
"They're ... mini A-bombs," Lake County Fire & Rescue Battalion Chief Chris Croughwell said of the bulk tanks.
He feared a "BLEVE," a boiling liquid, expanding-vapor explosion.
Source: http://www.sun-sentinel.com/os-florida-gas-plant-explosion-update-20130730,0,5314287.story?track=rss
weather new orleans orcl the hartford illinois primary 2012 michael bay zsa zsa gabor illinois primary
কোন মন্তব্য নেই:
একটি মন্তব্য পোস্ট করুন