IMPORTANT Safety Information!
THIS IS IMPORTANT!
Yesterday, Saturday 29th April 2017, A Citroen Picasso 4 which had been preloaded the night before by a man intending to take his family on holiday that day, literally blew up as he opened the door intending to drive to the fuel station to fill up prior to his journey.
The man was blown across the street, but by the grace of god was only slightly injured, however his car was was totally wrecked and indeed was almost split in two, the roof peeled back like a banana.
What had caused it? Terrorism? Vandals? No! - The Fire & Rescue service have issued a warning re gas safety. He had apparently loaded his Gas barbecue, and in an effort to save space had laid the gas cylinder for the barbecue on its side. It would appear that all night the cylinder was leaking gas, into the car. As he opened the door the courtesy light came on and the electrical circuit closing, was enough to set off the explosion!
Important Lesson - Never ever, lay a gas cylinder on its side!
TF
Comments
-
The Bristol Post carries a somewhat horrific picture of the wrecked vehicle today. I was wrong on one point, the vehicle was a large Ford people carrier. Unable to be specific due to the damage, but make is irrelevant . The problem was the storage and carriage of a gas cylinder in incorrect circumstances. They are more dangerous than many realise!
TF
0 -
Surely the problem is lack of ventilation rather than the storage position. They could have been secured upright but if the valve was partially open there was nowhere for the gas to escape. Gas lockers have ventilation at the bottom.
5 -
-
It's also why boats tend to explode from gas cylinders and not caravans. Of course, you could put ventilation in the bottom of the boat but the water might come in!
3 -
I think you're right Hitchglitch, we brought our van back from a service with a new gas cylinder fitted. We later discovered it hadn't been fitted correctly and the gas had escaped on the way home but thankfully the compartment is vented. Always worth checking for correct fittings..
0 -
Just spoke to my family in Bristol. My nephew's wife was walking the dog past on the opposite side of the road when the incident happened. She saw the man being thrown from the van and with another passer by called the ambulance and fire brigade. They couldn't go to the van as they didn't know whether there would be a further explosion. Lucky escapes all round.
Our incident with a gas cylinder was due to a missing washer on the fitting.
A timely reminder, thanks TF.
0 -
Gas powered forklift trucks have propane cylinders that lay horizontally.
The issue must have been a leakage. I can't see a reason why not to lay a cylinder on its side as long as it cant move in transit or something can come in to contact with the valve?
0 -
Just in case anyone wonders about my previous post. I had quite a shock when I made a link for TF's post on a previous page. I recognised certain things in the photo and then checked with the family only to hear just how real the incident had been for them.
0 -
The reason for not laying a Gas Cylinder on its side is that the Liquefied content will more than likely reach above the valve. If the valve is leaking or opened in this position then the liquid content will be forced under pressure into the atmosphere, with Extremely Dangerous Consequences even in a vented area. In the case of fork lift trucks etc the cylinder is connected using approved lines and the Liquefied Gas is mixed with air in a very controlled manner before it enters the engine.
1 -
I don't see why orientation of the gas bottle is relevant?
LPG liquid is no more searching than LPG gas and the internal pressure on the valve is equal, regardless of whether it is liquid or gas pushing against it!
You cannot use a bottle of gas on its side, as you need to use gas and not liquid, which it would be at the valve on its side if the bottle was full (unless you are using the liquid, like in a FLT, which usually use special gas bottles with a dip pipe inside).
The issue here can only have been the valve was passing, either not shut properly or was defective.
It must also have been so in an almost imperceptible way (which is probably the dangerous part) as if it was leaking in any quantity the car would have been full of gas and the mixture too rich to explode.
To get an explosion you need quite a specific range (only 2.1% to 10.1% gas in air for propane), else the mixture is too lean or too rich to explode.
Worryingly, that's probably about as much as what is in a cigarette lighter!
Very unlucky for just the right amount of gas to have leaked AND a source of ignition to be present!
I have been on the training course below at Spadeadam and felt the explosive power of the box test - (@2:13 in the clip below).
0 -
+1
The issue here is storage of a cylinder on its side (not using it) if I understand it correctly. Also. I'll stand corrected if wrong, but I have not seen it stated on the cylinder about storage or transit orientation., I have also had a brief look on the Calor site re COSHH, Handling & Storage and found no reference to it other than stacking and ensuring it it stored in well ventilated areas.
Locked in a car overnight is not good but I wonder how many people have them in garages and sheds ?
Re LPG powered vehicles, they have a component in the system to return the LPG back in to a gas.
Only my input into the thread, but my comments come from having completed a course run and endorsed by Texaco for LPG installation & repair of LPG systems for PSV vehicles and I worked on DAF SB220's which ran on LPG (fully fulled they had 600 Ltr's on board) I also hold a NEBOSH health and safety qualification.
0 -
Perversely in this particular situation, that would probably have been an advantage if it had have leaked a liquid.
I'm not sure what the difference is really if it leaks a liquid or a gas.
A liquid leak would form a pool of boiling lpg, that would be forming a gas cloud, I would have thought the rate of release would be not too dissimilar to just a gas leak, perhaps faster as spreading it about would allow more heat to be taken from the environment for vapourisation.
The only thing I can really think of is a concern from a pool fire under the canister, leading to an explosive rupture or BLEVE?
Did it give any guidance on why?
1 -
For as long as I can remember, boat design regulations have required that any LPG cylinder on a boat is stored in a vented locker at deck level, thus ensuring drainage overboard in the event of a leak. Personally, I have never heard of a boat exploding because of a gas cylinder, but I have come across two or three incidents of a petrol leak causing an explosion.
0 -
"Cylinders must be stored or displayed with their valves
uppermost. This ensures that if there is a leak from the valve
area, vapour and not liquid will escape. "Extract from https://www.calor.co.uk/media/wysiwyg/PDF/code-of-guidance-for-storage-of-cylinders.pdf
1 -
But the explosion was nothing to do with the way it was stored!
It was because it was leaking!
2 separate issues!
1 -
That guidance is for retail storage of 400kg and over. And makes sense where you would not want a pool fire around the remaining bottles.
0 -
But for a single bottle stored in a none vented (inappropriate) location, there is no inherent addition risk of leakage based on storage orientation.
0 -
Yes CJ, I realise there are other issues, but piling things into a van could result in things being knocked etc. I believe the van concerned wasn't a motorhome it was a domestic van filled with camping equipment for an impromptu trip away. I might be wrong but it looks as though there is a big gas bbq in one of the photos. Some sort of storage guidance is worth knowing about.
0 -
Does anyone know if there are any rules or official guidance about carrying gas cylinders in cars? There must be thousands of people that do it out of necessity either to get their gas for the BBQ at home or for a cooker by those going tent camping.
Is there any law that states that an LPG sticker should be displayed on a car or even on a shed or garage where gas is transported or stored?
0 -
Yes, there is reference in that commercial storage guidance. ACOP 27 I think, I did look, but it was 50 pounds, but again referred to commercial vehicles, not domestic.
There cannot be any restrictions for domestic consumption, else you would not be allowed to buy it and take it home from diy stores and garage forecourts.
0
Ooooh, Nasty!! 
