Engineering Investigation of the April 2011 Explosion at a Fireworks Storage Magazine in Oahu, HI

摘要

This paper details the investigation of a fatal explosion that occurred on April 8, 2011 at a magazine used to store fireworks in Waikele, HI. The fireworks had been confiscated by the Bureau of Immigrations and Customs Enforcement after they were informed that a container shipped to the United States contained illegal fireworks. Four groups of cardboard cartons that were marked as 1.4G (consumer fireworks) were determined to be consistent with the more explosive 1.3G type, commercial display fireworks. The subcontractor retained to destroy these fireworks stored the shipment in the subject magazine and was in the process of disassembling them on the day the explosion occurred. The United States Chemical Safety Board (CSB) and Exponent inspected the accident site and reviewed records and documentation associated with the incident. We also reviewed federal and state regulations that address the manufacturing, storage, handling, shipping, and sales of display and consumer fireworks, as well as various National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and American Pyrotechnics Association (APA) standards and guidelines governing fireworks, novelties, and pyrotechnics. This paper presents the results of the investigation of the subject incident and identifies our analysis of the fireworks storage, disassembly, and destruction process. We determined that the destruction of fireworks is not explicitly covered by any existing standards or regulations in the United States and currently, there appears to be no consensus or uniform recommended method to available to safely dispose of these materials.