Incident Report

 

Sasol Synfuels Incident 01/11/2004

Initial Email Enquiry –

Our thoughts go out to Pine and his emergency response team who have had a great deal to contend with these last few months - and more importantly to those families who have lost loved ones in this tragic incident. There are many web based stories covering this incident however, here are the words from Pine himself and an official press release which is factually accurate.

1st Response –

The attached file (Word doc.) is the official report released yesterday after the incident that occurred at our facility that can be distributed as you wish. As you will understand it is totally too early to issue any official report but what I can share with you in confidentiality (and please not for general communication) is that the initial cause of the incident seem to be a release of several tons (>1500m3) of Ethane, when the "wrong" line was opened during the shutdown activities within the Ethylene plant. When the fitter realised he was breaking a flange on a live line, he immediately tightened the bolts on the flange again, but by that time the vapor cloud has already formed, drifting through the plant and with all the hot work ongoing, found ignition and resulted in what we know as "PUVCE" (Percussion Vapor Cloud Explosion).

The current "tally" is:

  • 6 x Fatalities
  • 5 x ICU
  • 15 x Hospitalized

In total 269 people were treated at our in-house medical facility of which some 40+ were transferred to hospital. This was a BIG incident and as soon as I am allowed I shall issue more comprehensive information. The one message I want to transfer however is the fact that one cannot expect the contractor to identify the equipment to be worked on during a shutdown - the production personnel MUST ensure that the equipment is positively identified to the contractor and be present when the work commences. This is not the first time that the "wrong" equipment has been worked on resulting in an incident.


End of email correspondence on Topic to date.

Author’s identities are concealed for privacy and security reasons. Further information on the information contained in this topic can be directed to the JOIFF secretariaty.