Compilation of Acetylene Accidents

Thread Content

Compilation of Acetylene Accidents (1) On November 24, 1994, an acetylene generator in the acetylene production section of a chemical plant in Hebei Province overflowed and the pipes became blocked; operations were halted at 6 o’clock to address the issue. After operations resumed, the discharge pipe became blocked again, prompting another shutdown for repairs. Workers used wooden and copper hammers to strike the flange of the discharge hopper. An explosion occurred at 1:50 p.m., resulting in 1 death, 1 serious injury, and 1 minor injury on the spot. The cause of the accident was that the discharge port was blocked for an extended period, which led to the absorption of moisture by the calcium carbide in the generator and subsequent heat release (in the case of a dry-type generator). Additionally, the sealing rubber ring of the feed hopper broke, allowing air to enter. When the discharge port was finally cleared, material started to flow out suddenly, creating a vacuum that resulted in the explosion. (2) On December 5, 1994, an explosion occurred in the feed hopper of Acetylene Generator No. 3 at an acetylene plant in Cangzhou City, Hebei Province, causing the factory building to collapse. Window glass within a radius of 100 meters was broken, 1 person died, 2 people were lightly injured, and the estimated losses amounted to over 380,000 yuan. The cause of the accident was that production was resumed without following the operating procedures after a temporary power outage for maintenance. (3) In the first week of May 1995, an explosion occurred at an acetylene production plant in Hackensack, New Jersey, USA; the plant owner died on the spot and 2 workers were injured. Analysis shows that it is due to a blockage in the calcium carbide feed line. At that time, the factory owner led the workers to use water to flush out calcium carbide in the feed pipeline in an attempt to clear it, but when water was sprayed on the calcium carbide, acetylene gas was produced. At that time, light was used for work purposes, and due to carelessness the bulb of the lamp fell and shattered, instantly igniting the acetylene gas and causing an explosion. (4) On May 8, 1995, an acetylene generator in the acetylene production unit of a chemical plant in Hebei Province exploded, resulting in 1 death, 1 serious injury, and 3 minor injuries, as well as the collapse of a 200-square-meter factory building. The reason is that the pressure in the acetylene high-pressure dryer was too high, resulting in excessive discharge of waste gas and the generation of sparks. (5) On June 30, 1995, a chemical plant in Guangxi used a floating-type acetylene generator in violation of regulations; while a worker was replacing the calcium carbide inside the generator and connecting the acetylene gas hose, the floating unit exploded, killing the worker on the spot. The cause of the accident was the failure to completely remove the air from the buoy, along with an excessive level of phosphine in the acetylene gas, which led to a spontaneous explosion. (6) On February 29, 1996, maintenance work was being carried out on Acetylene Generator No. 1 in the chlor-alkali workshop of a chemical plant in Sichuan Province. Two workers performed flushing and purging operations, and removed the manhole cover for inspection; no gas analysis was conducted. Suddenly, an explosion occurred during the inspection, and the shock wave threw one worker over the railing, causing him to fall from a height of 5 meters and die. Another worker was injured, resulting in direct economic losses of 22,000 yuan. (7) On March 20, 1997, a factory in Inner Mongolia’s electrolysis workshop needed sodium collection tanks urgently; the workshop supervisor decided on his own to use a welding torch for drying (when it is stipulated that drying should be done using electric dryers in a dedicated drying room). An explosion occurred when an acetylene gas leak from the sodium collection tank was ignited as the welding torch was moved toward it; 1 person died and 2 were seriously injured. (8) On October 27, 1998, a chlor-alkali plant in Xinjiang was performing maintenance on the main water supply valve; 3 plumbers were using gas welding to cut screws inside the well. When preparing to light it up again with a welding torch, as soon as the lighter caught fire, an explosion occurred, resulting in 1 death and 1 injury. The reason is that the welding torch was not turned off after it was illuminated for the first time, resulting in acetylene gas leaking out. (9) At around 8:50 on March 24, 1999, an acetylene cylinder intended for welding operations in the CNC section of Workshop 14 at Harbin Turbine Factory exploded, killing one worker on the spot. Three other workers died after being taken to the hospital, 13 people were seriously injured, and 17 were lightly injured. The 3 Swiss experts present went to other places for treatment after the accident due to varying degrees of panic. The exploded acetylene cylinder was broken into three pieces, with its bottom part being sent flying more than 5 meters away. One-third of the south end of the workshop was destroyed, with all the glass shattered. Of the 18 CNC milling machines, 6 were completely scrapped, and the computer control systems of the other 12 were also damaged, resulting in a direct economic loss of 15 million yuan. Due to the severity of this accident, Heilongjiang Province requested the State Council to send personnel to investigate and handle the matter. Subsequently, the Quality and Technical Supervision Bureau took the lead in forming an investigation team. The findings of the investigation were that the acetylene cylinder filling units had poor management practices; insufficient or no acetone was added to the cylinders, with one cylinder in particular lacking 11.8 kg of acetone. In the absence of sufficient propane, acetylene was overfilled, with the most severe case reaching 4.8 kg of excess. The filling records are incomplete and disorganized. To this end, the **Quality and Technical Supervision Bureau issued a notice titled “Quality and Technical Supervision Boiler Document No. 14” on February 21, 2000, entitled “Notice on the Explosion Incident of Dissolved Acetylene Cylinders in Harbin”. (10) On the morning of February 12, 2000, an acetylene cylinder exploded at a machinery maintenance workshop in Tai Shing Wai, Yuen Long. Seven workers were affected by the accident on the first day of work after the Spring Festival, resulting in 3 deaths and 4 injuries. At 8:06 that day, 7 workers who returned to work after the Spring Festival holiday were getting ready to start working in the factory. When someone turned on the gas welding torch, a violent explosion occurred; 2 workers were thrown up more than 10 meters high to the top of the factory, where they died after lying across the I-beam girders. The other 5 workers were injured in the explosion, with 1 of them dying despite efforts to save them at the hospital. According to preliminary investigations, the hose connecting the acetylene cylinders was damaged and leaking; moreover, 53 oxygen cylinders and 29 acetylene cylinders were stored in the factory, which clearly violates the storage regulations. Through on-site investigations, the police initially determined that the accident was caused by damage to the rubber hoses of more than 10 acetylene cylinders placed outside the factory, which led to a gas leak inside the factory. It is presumed that the rubber hose of the acetylene cylinder was damaged during the Spring Festival holiday; by the time work resumed on the 12th, the shed was filled with acetylene gas, and an explosion occurred when the workers started cutting. (11) At 3 p.m. on March 20, 2001, an explosion occurred at a gas station at No. 50 Tongxia Road, Jiangning District, Nanjing, involving an acetylene cylinder; the cylinder was shattered into pieces as a result of the explosion, and two people were seriously injured. The gas station was located in the center of a 3-story building facing the street; inside the storefront, there were around 70 oxygen and acetylene gas cylinders. The doors and windows of the shops on either side of the gas station, as well as more than 10 windows on the upper floors, all shattered and fell to the ground due to the shock waves generated by the explosion. A gas cylinder flew across the road and landed next to a gas station; the windshield of a car was shattered and its roof was deformed. A blue Yuejin-brand vehicle designed for transporting hazardous materials, with the license plate number SU AV0469, was parked nearby. According to the owner of a Hubei auto parts store located near the site of the explosion, the father and son who were seriously injured in the blast have been taken to Jiangning District Hospital for treatment under the escort of firefighters. (12) At 18:20 on March 22, 2001, an explosion occurred in an acetylene gas cylinder at the Jiuzhen Recycled Paper Mill in Xiaonan District, Xiaogan City, Hubei Province, resulting in 1 death, 5 people suffering minor injuries, and direct economic losses of around 50,000 yuan. (13) At 11 p.m. on April 11, 2001, an explosion occurred at the acetylene plant of Hunan Loudi Industrial Gas Company at the end of the filling process; one acetylene cylinder and the purification system exploded, resulting in 1 death, 2 serious injuries, and 1 minor injury. The entire plant had to stop operating, and the plant manager was killed in the explosion. Reason: ① The purification process was not carried out strictly in accordance with the technical requirements during acetylene production ； ②The operator, in an attempt to \"improve efficiency,\" illegally increased the compressor pressure (which is specified to not exceed 2.5 MPa) ； ③Calcium chloride (anhydrous) has not been added to the dryer bag for 8 months ； ④During filling, the illegal procedure of \"shutting down the system first before inserting the bottle\" resulted in excessive system pressure ； ⑤If gas cylinders are not refilled with propane regularly as required, acetylene cannot dissolve. Therefore, it was a serious violation incident. (14) On the afternoon of November 23, 2001, an explosion occurred at the Tuofeng Towel Factory in Donghai County, Jiangsu Province; three factory buildings were destroyed, resulting in 1 death and 1 serious injury. It is understood that at around 2 p.m. that day, two workers were working in the workshop. At about 2:30, an acetylene tank in the workshop exploded violently; with a loud noise, three buildings in the workshop were destroyed. One worker died on the spot, while another was seriously injured. (15) At around 20:30 on February 16, 2002, an explosion occurred in a 15 m2 acetylene welding shop located at the entrance south of the Tongda Market on Taiping Middle Road in Shihe Town, Chuzhou District, Huai’an City, Jiangsu Province, resulting in 3 deaths and 1 injury. Following the massive explosion, this private shop was completely destroyed; a wall on the west side, opposite it, was pushed several meters away by the shock waves of the explosion. The buildings nearby were shaken to the point of being on the verge of collapsing, and the aluminum alloy doors and windows within a radius of 100 meters were distorted and the glass in them was shattered. The police and the public rescued the victims from the ruins. It was found that the shop owner and their family member, along with the owner of the Mazda car, died in the explosion. Another passerby was seriously injured, while another person suffered a cerebral hemorrhage due to extreme shock and collapsed on the spot. The explosion occurred while welding the Mazda car, and an acetylene gas cylinder was found damaged at the scene. (16) At around 4 p.m. on March 24, 2002, at an electric welding and cutting workshop in Shilibao Beili, Chaoyang District, Beijing, workers were carrying out gas welding work inside when the rubber hose of the acetylene cylinder burst and started leaking gas. The acetylene gas that emerged caught fire immediately upon contact with the flame from the welding torch, and the fire spread along the tubing to the nozzle of the acetylene cylinder. At 16:09, the firefighters arrived; the acetylene cylinder on the ground was emitting flames, with two more acetylene cylinders nearby, so they quickly worked to cool down the situation and extinguish the fire. Otherwise it’s very dangerous; the lesson is to check the integrity of the equipment on site before starting work. (17) Around 1:30 p.m. on August 24, 2002, an acetylene operator from the Structure Factory of Wuhan Metallurgical Equipment Manufacturing Company in Qingshan District, Wuhan, went into the adjacent acetylene room to fill it with acetylene. He noticed that acetylene was leaking, so he quickly closed the valve; however, a fire broke out suddenly and it grew larger and larger. Thanks to the efforts of the firefighters, the fire was extinguished around 2:30 a.m. The operator suffered burns to the face and upper body. At that time, there were over 90 gas cylinders stored in the acetylene warehouse; the vast majority were rushed out, but 6 cylinders exploded. The reason is that the valve was closed too quickly, causing friction and a fire. (18) At around 10:30 a.m. on June 28, 2003, at a large construction site near the Wushan Police Station in Tianhe District, Guangzhou, sparks from a welding gun ignited acetylene that had suddenly leaked, causing a fire. After the incident, police and firefighters arrived at the scene promptly to carry out rescue efforts, and no injuries were reported. (19) At 9:40 on July 28, 2003, an explosion occurred at a small acetylene gas plant in Chengyue Town, Shangsuixi County, Zhanjiang City, Guangdong Province, resulting in the death of 5 people present at the scene. (20) At around 6 p.m. on October 4, 2003, an explosion occurred in a factory within the Hancheng Industrial Park in the northern suburbs of Xi’an; the roof was blown off, and many people in the surrounding area felt the impact of the explosion. The explosion was caused by acetylene gas stored in the factory, and no casualties were reported. (21) At around 11:45 on November 3, 2003, a 20-square-meter residential house in the family housing area of Chongqing Standard Parts Factory in Huayan Town, Shapingba District, Chongqing, was completely destroyed, resulting in 3 people being injured. At the scene, it was found that the blue gas cylinder was an industrial acetylene cylinder. In an attempt to save money, workers took the unused industrial acetylene cylinder home to use for cooking, which resulted in an explosion that injured 3 people, 2 of whom suffered serious injuries. (22) At 8:21 on December 10, 2003, multiple acetylene gas cylinders at a construction site of Dalian Dye Factory leaked, causing a fire. More than 60 oxygen cylinders and acetylene cylinders used for cutting and welding caught fire; flames erupted from the damaged cylinder valves, with the flames reaching a length of nearly 1 meter. These flames directly burned the adjacent oxygen cylinders, accompanied by a terrifying hissing sound. The burning cylinders contained acetylene and propane, each weighing 30 kilograms. Thanks to the prompt action of the firefighters, no serious casualties or property losses were incurred. (23) On the morning of December 12, 2003, an explosion of flammable gases occurred inside a 51,000-ton cargo ship under construction at Zhejiang Shipyard in Song’ao Town, Fenghua City, Zhejiang Province, resulting in 2 deaths and 1 serious injury. The deflagration occurred at the bottom of the thruster compartment, where 3 workers were carrying out welding work on cable brackets on the floor of the compartment. The cabin is 6 meters deep, with a complex structure inside, making it difficult to enter. Preliminarily, it is possible that an acetylene leak during operation caused the deflagration accident. (24) At 13:55 on December 18, 2003, an explosion occurred in an illegal workshop for the homemade production of acetylene in Chongyang Village, Xincheng Sub-district, Hancheng City, Shaanxi Province, resulting in 2 deaths and 2 injuries. According to the police investigation, the workshop did not have any necessary approvals; it was operated by four brothers from the local village. Two of them died on the spot during the explosion, while the other two suffered severe burns. The workshop has been sealed. (25) On January 16, 2004, at 6:20 a.m., an accident occurred on the Gongbei section of the Shangtang elevated road in Hangzhou. A truck collided with an elevated bridge pillar while trying to avoid a vehicle ahead. The truck was loaded with flammable acetylene; fortunately, it was not moving very fast at the time, which prevented any consequences from occurring. Two people in the cab were injured and taken to the Second Municipal Hospital for emergency treatment; their lives are not in danger. The information listed above was collected by the author while working on industry technical intelligence at the Hangzhou Oxygen Generator Research Institute and as the editor-in-chief of \"Cryogenic Technology.\" It compiles and organizes the major acetylene accidents reported, with a focus on those that resulted in deaths, arranged in chronological order. Due to limited information and incomplete collection, there are certainly some accidents that have been overlooked or an incomplete overview; this is provided for reference only. Safety first! Technical information on acetylene dissolution equipment **Pay attention to safe production in the acetylene industry ； It is also its duty to publish safety articles on \"Acetylene Equipment and Its Use\". These incidents have been compiled together, mainly so that everyone can learn from them and take appropriate measures in response to such tragic accidents, thereby ensuring safe production and steady development in the acetylene industry. (Gu Fumin, former editor-in-chief of 《Cryogenic Technology》 at Hangzhou Oxygen Generator Research Institute)