LOOP LLC

Incident Narrative

ON JUNE 29, 2015, THERE WAS A FIRE AT THE VERTICAL PUMP STATION AT THE CLOVELLY DOME STORAGE TERMINAL. THE FIRE OCCURRED WHILE A CONTRACT WELDER WAS PERFORMING STRUCTURAL WELDING TO REINSTALL STRUCTURAL STEEL AND GRATING. THE CONTRACT WELDER AND DESIGNATED FIRE WATCH IMMEDIATELY REPORTED THE INCIDENT. LOOP'S ONSITE FIRE BRIGADE RESPONDED IMMEDIATELY AND EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE WITH HAND HELD FIRE EXTINGUISHERS. THE FIRE WAS EXTINGUISHED WITHIN APPROXIMATELY 17 MINUTES. THE RESPONSE WAS LED BY LOOP'S ONSITE FIRE BRIGADE WITH ASSISTANCE FROM CONTRACTORS, THE LOCAL VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT, AND LOCAL AMBULANCE SERVICE. ALL APPROPRIATE PPE, INCLUDING FIRE RESISTANT CLOTHING, WAS WORN BY BOTH CONTRACTORS INVOLVED IN THE INCIDENT. THIS INCIDENT DID RESULT IN ONE FIRST AID INJURY: THE CONTRACT WELDER SUSTAINED A MINOR FIRST DEGREE BURN TO HIS LOWER LEG. HE WAS PROVIDED FIRST AID ON-SITE, WAS LATER EXAMINED BY A DOCTOR AND RELEASED TO RETURN TO FULL DUTY. THE IMMEDIATE RESPONSE MINIMIZED DAMAGE TO THE STRUCTURE AND EQUIPMENT IN THE AREA. AN INVESTIGATION TEAM WAS COMMISSIONED CONSISTING OF LOOP EMPLOYEES AND A CONTRACTOR REPRESENTATIVE WITHIN 24 HOURS OF THE INCIDENT. THE INVESTIGATION INDICATED THAT THE CAUSE OF THE FIRE WAS THE IGNITION OF HYDROCARBON VAPORS BY THE WELDING ARC OR HOT SLAG. IT APPEARS THE WELDER PERFORMING WORK AT THE VERTICAL PUMP STATION UNKNOWINGLY LEANED INTO A 1/2-INCH BALL VALVE WHICH WAS CONNECTED TO A 24-INCH PIPE CONTAINING CRUDE OIL. BY LEANING INTO THE BALL VALVE HANDLE, THE VALVE WAS PARTIALLY OPENED CAUSING A RELEASE OF VAPOR AND CRUDE OIL UNDER A FIRE BLANKET THAT HAD BEEN PLACED OVER THE VALVE.