Accident: Barton Solvents Explosions and Fire
Location: Location: Valley Center, KS
Accident Occurred On: 07/17/2007 | Final Report Released On: 06/26/2008
Accident Type: Chemical Distribution - Fire and Explosion
Investigation Status: The CSB's final report was issued at a news conference in Wichita, Kansas, on June 26, 2008.
On July 17, 2007, explosions and fire erupted at the Barton Solvents facility in Valley Center, Kansas, north of Wichita. The incident led to the evacuation of thousands of residents and resulted in projectile damage offsite, as well as extensive damage to the facility.
Recommend to your membership companies that prepare MSDSs to update the MSDSs to: -Identify and include a warning for materials that are static accumulators and that may form ignitable vapor-air mixtures in storage tanks. -Include a statement that bonding and grounding may be insufficient to eliminate the hazard from static-accumulating flammable liquids, and provide examples of additional precautions and references to the relevant consensus guidance (e.g., NFPA 77, Recommended Practice on Static Electricity (2007), and API Recommended Practice 2003, Protection Against Ignitions Arising Out of Static, Lightning, and Stray Currents (2008)). -Include conductivity testing data for the materials that are static accumulators and that may form ignitable vapor-air mixtures in storage tanks.
Revise ANSI Z400.1 to advise chemical manufacturers and importers that prepare MSDSs to: -Identify and include a warning for materials that are static-accumulators and that may form ignitable vapor-air mixtures in storage tanks; -Advise users that bonding and grounding may be insufficient to eliminate the hazard from static-accumulating flammable liquids, and provide examples of additional precautions and references to the relevant consensus guidance (e.g., NFPA 77, Recommended Practice on Static Electricity (2007), and API Recommended Practice 2003, Protection Against Ignitions Arising Out of Static, Lightning, and Stray Currents (2008)); and -Provide conductivity testing data for materials that are static accumulators and that may form ignitable vapor-air mixtures in storage tanks.
Revise the "Guidance for Hazard Determination for compliance with the OSHA Hazard Communication Standard" to advise chemical manufacturers and importers that prepare MSDSs to: -Evaluate flammable liquids to determine their potential to accumulate static electricity and form ignitable vapor-air mixtures in storage tanks. -Test the conductivity of the flammable liquid and include the testing results in the MSDS.
Prior to the next revision, communicate to the Sub-Committee on the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals (SCEGHS) the need to amend the GHS to advise chemical manufacturers and importers that prepare MSDSs to: -Identify and include a warning for materials that are static accumulators and that may form ignitable vapor-air mixtures in storage tanks. -Advise users that bonding and grounding may be insufficient to eliminate the hazard from static-accumulating flammable liquids, and provide examples of additional precautions and references to the relevant consensus guidance (e.g., NFPA 77, Recommended Practice on Static Electricity (2007), and API Recommended Practice 2003, Protection Against Ignitions Arising Out of Static, Lightning, and Stray Currents (2008)). -Provide conductivity testing data for materials that are static accumulators and that may form ignitable vapor-air mixtures in storage tanks.