Talk:Professionalism/PEPCON Ammonium Perchlorate Plant Explosion

Discussion for Presentation:

Background
Open barrel started to burn Never before had so much ammonium perchlorate been stored in one place Plant housekeeping wasn't great Fire spread to other containers Only had a garden hose Class 4 oxidizer - no method of extinguishment AP goes into sulfating process - releases lots of oxygen AP can consume itself - acting as own oxidizer and fuel Fire burned for 20 minutes Natural gas pipeline under plant Ruptured pipeline burned for an hour A formula for for solid rocket propellent - 70% AP 15% aluminum 15% rubber (bins were aluminum and rubber)

History
The Pacific Engineering Production Company of Nevada (PEPCON) was a small specialty chemical company that manufactured ammonium perchlorate (AP), an oxidizer which is a component of rocket fuel. After the Challenger explosion, NASA grounded its fleet of shuttles for over two years while the disaster was investigated. This hiatus froze PEPCON’s shipments of AP, but not the actual production, which continued as usual. This led to a buildup of AP around the facility which was not equipped to store such a large volume. AP was stored in a variety of containers, including aluminum bins, polyethylene-lined steel drums, and polypropylene bags and drums. Every one of these containers contained or was made of an oxidizable material.

During a routine building repair, a spark strayed from a welder and caught the building on fire. The crew tried to extinguish the fire with the only available option, two rubber garden hoses. However, when the second hose was turned on, the water pressure dropped so low that it was not possible to put the fire out. The crew gave up and evacuated.

Due to a buildup of AP dust on many of the buildings, the fire spread quickly. Between 10 and 20 minutes following the initial spark, the first round of explosions occurred. The fire had spread to a group of stacked 55 gallon storage drums containing AP which acted like bombs once ignited. The blast sent shockwaves that damaged surrounding buildings and vehicles. Minutes later, the fire had spread to a larger storage area containing 5000 pound AP shipping containers. This led to the second and largest explosion. The PEPCON facility and a nearby Kidd Marshmallow plant were destroyed. It is thought that 1500 tons of the 4000 total tons of AP on site were consumed in this explosion alone.

Although the blast caused a range of damage in a 10 mile radius, only two people were killed, both PEPCON employees. One employee, Roy Westerfield, stayed behind to call 911. Both people killed were handicapped, raising questions about the evacuation procedures that were in place. The U.S. Fire Administration, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and the National Fire Data Center released a report citing needs for improvement in the safe evacuation of handicapped individuals, as well as the need for emergency triage procedures in nearby hospitals. The U.S. Fire Administration, FEMA, and the Department of Energy cited the need for better maintenance and cleaning procedures, the elimination of fuel sources, and the implementation of ventilation systems, sprinkler systems, fire alarms, and fire-sensing systems, all of which PEPCON did not have prior to the disaster.

Outsider's perspectives
pipeline could've played role in explosions Welding debris ignited open barrels?

Learnings
Safety culture Basically stored in a parking lot Need compartmentalization - like a submarine

Photos/Videos?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3V-1BL1Tr90