Methanol tank explosion and fire - the role of corrosion

摘要

Two men died and a third was seriously injured when vapours from a methanol storage tank vent were ignited by sparks from a cutting torch. Multiple management failures and inadequacies of the legislation contributed to the cause of the accident. However, corrosion of the aluminium flame arrester prevented it from stopping the ignited vapours from travelling back into the tank as required and thereby causing the tank to explode.