KINDER MORGAN LIQUID TERMINALS, LLC

Incident Narrative

WHILE RECEIVING A GASOLINE DELIVERY THROUGH THE GANJ MANIFOLD AT THE CARTERET TERMINAL, MAINTENANCE WORKERS WERE EXECUTING A MAINTENANCE TASK TO ROTATE A VALVE GEAR BOX AND INSTALL AN EXTENSION HANDLE ON THE GEAR BOX ON A VALVE IN THE GANJ MANIFOLD. DURING THE MAINTENANCE TASK THE BOLTS THAT SECURE THE GEAR BOX TO THE VALVE BODY WERE REMOVED AND THE GEAR BOX WAS RAISED TO ALLOW IT TO BE ROTATED. WHEN THE GEAR BOX WAS RAISED, A SLAMMING SOUND WAS HEARD AND WITHIN A FEW SECONDS, TWO FLANGES ON OTHER VALVES IN THE MANIFOLD RELEASED A SPRAY OF GASOLINE AND THE GASOLINE VAPORS IGNITED. ALL WORKERS AND CONTRACTORS IN THE VICINITY EVACUATED THE AREA. ON SITE EMERGENCY RESPONSE TEAM RESPONDED AND PUT OUT THE FIRE. THE MANIFOLD PIPING WAS ISOLATED FROM THE REMAINDER OF THE FACILITY PIPING BY CLOSING OFF VALVES AND LATER INSTALLING BLINDS IN THE LINES. INVESTIGATION INTO THE INCIDENT DETERMINED THAT THE INTERNAL VALVE PLATE SLAMMED CLOSED AGAINST THE INBOUND DELIVERY WHEN THE GEAR BOX WAS LIFTED OFF THE VALVE PINION. AN INVESTIGATION INTO THE INCIDENT DETERMINED THAT THE ROOT CAUSE WAS EMPLOYEES FAILED TO FOLLOW THE ESTABLISHED MAINTENANCE PRACTICES OF COMMUNICATING WITH OPERATIONS BEFORE AND AFTER A JOB AND WORKING ON ONLY INACTIVE LINES.