A Great Fire Ball

One lovely Thursday, the phone did not just ring; it may me jump. My intuition was peaked for some reason. On the other end was a voice from one of our sister sites, frantic and thin with terror. They told me there was a fire. A 'great wall of fire'.

I’ll be honest: I didn't believe them. I thought this person was exaggerating. Honestly, most safety folks are desensitized to dramatic events because we have seen and experienced it all. In addition, we are trained to respond in a strategic manner and keep our 'wits about us'.

I was dead wrong.

When I pulled up to the site, the skepticism died in my throat. Multiple fire trucks, an ambulance and the fire chief's vehicle were parked at the main gate. One fire fighter had a hazmat suit on. I immediately said 'fuck' to myself in my car. This was a big deal.

When I arrived, the fire was completely out and employees were properly evacuated. At the time, I was pregnant, so I was immediately stopped by my union allies and city fire fighters - when I attempted to enter into the building for the inspection. I promptly found a N95 (Yes, I know. It was NOT the best respiratory protection for fire related carcinogens, but that was all I could find.) I walked into the area of concern and saw the following:

• The Wall: A fifty-foot expanse behind a flammable cabinet, charred black like a landscape from hell.
• The Floor: The concrete in front of the cabinet wasn't just soot-covered; it was burned to a crisp.

The "wall of fireballs" wasn't a tall tale. It was a miracle that the building was still standing .

The investigation revealed a classic, textbook nightmare. An employee was dispensing naphtha from a 55-gallon drum into a plastic container. It was a routine task for these employees; however, grave mistakes were conducted.

• Drum: It was NOT grounded.
• Dispensing Container: It was plastic!! And it was NOT bonded to the drum.

During the dispensation of naphtha, static electricity built up - created a spark and a fire erupted.

Fortunately, the employee walked away without significant burns. The EHS department released a litany of grounding and bonding education to the employee population over the course of nine months. I can't tell you how many safety meetings I attended that year where grounding and bonding was discussed.

Funny enough (or not) the same 'great wall of fire balls' situation occurred at a different facility on the one year anniversary of the event. The exact date, mind you!! I decided to go an extra mile with the hierarchy of controls. I made the employees wear impermeable PPE clothing which was flammable-proof because obviously education was not enough.

The Lesson: Ground and Bond Flammable Chemicals

Just do it. It will save your skin (literally) and lower the property insurance of the facility.

Also, it will prevent EHS from making you wear thick, impermeable PPE clothing in the middle of the summer.