Posted on 09/01/2005 1:26:31 PM PDT by NRA1995
An empty fuel truck being converted to store water blew up outside a Sykesville, MD company yesterday afternoon, killing a 28-year-old employee, Howard County fire officials said.
The tanker exploded when a worker for Renehan's Water For Pools used a blowtorch to cut into the back of the used tanker, said William Mould, a spokesman for the fire department.
The explosion threw the victim 15 yards toward the company's garage. Authorities declared him dead at the scene.
Linda Sherman, a spokeswoman for the Maryland Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation, said the victim's name would not be released until relatives were notified.
The tanker was parked alongside several other trucks atop the company's driveway, which overlooks the 700 block of Route 32 near the Carroll County line.
"There may have been some residual petroleum product inside, but there was definitely fumes," Mould said of the tanker, which the company recently purchased.
The company is registered to Joseph H. Renehan Jr., under the name Renehan's Transport Inc., according to state records.
Mould said the owner was on site, and that family members live next door.
Calls to the company were not returned.
Maryland Occupational Safety and Health is handling the investigation
"There may have been some residual petroleum product inside, but there was definitely fumes,"
Paging Mr Obvious.
Darwin runner-up.
No, he didn't survive. He won.
Oil jumped to 80 a gal on the news.
That had to hurt. Guess he didn't know that gas fumes are volatile.
"Calls to the company were not returned."
Possibly because the building housing the company is a pile of sticks in a bomb crater.
I did tank removals & taother tank work. A little dry ice goes a long way towards being able to go home at the end of the day. It works even if there is still liquid product in the tank. Purge, damnit, purge
If you really have to torch or weld on a fuel tank, make sure its full first.
DO NOT DO THAT!
Well, I would prefer it be full of water, but being full of fuel is safer than being full of fuel fumes. You can stick one of those wand lighters into gasoline and click it all day without anything happening. No fumes, no oxygen, no fire. But put it into an empty gasoline can and try the same thing. Well, don't really try it, or you'll go boom.
I grew up in a body shop. One day my dad was using a cutting torch, and blew some sparks/slag across the shop and one went down the spout of an "empty" gas can. The explosion bulged the bottom of the can out so hard if flew straight up to the ceiling and smashed a flourescent light fixture.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.