Fire supression cylinder explosion at Welwyn Garden City

[John Webb]

I've posted this here as it would seem to cut across several areas both technically and operationally.

Just after 3pm yesterday at a building site in Welwyn Garden City there was an explosion of a gas cylinder which killed one person, seriously injured another and less seriously injured a few others.

The police spokesman on the ITV news this lunchtime said the accident had occured while the cylinders were being installed in the building 'as part of the building's fire protection' which is why I am posting this topic.

The building has been under construction for much of this year as I've passed it a number of times and replaces a former industrial building on the site. The new building is, according to the police spokesman, to be an IT communication centre.

The BBC  website report http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/beds/bucks/herts/7711731.stm mentions a fire but none of the live reports has.

[John Webb]

Additional information from the 'London Evening Standard' today.

For some reason the valve was sheared off one of six 47kg cylinders being installed for fire protection purposes while the cylinders were being moved. The cylinder became a 'missile' and in flying around the building knocked the valves off the other cylinders which also took off, some ending up to 40m away from their original position. One man was hit and killed; six others were injured, one seriously while trying to get away from the cylinders. There was no fire or explosion as such. Police and HSE are investigating.

[AnthonyB]

I know cylinder valves can be notoriously vulnerable to a side blow and can shear off - most likely to be nothing wrong with the cylinders and more to do with their handling, but of course we we won't know until the investigation ends.

[Chris Houston]

Ladies and Gents,

I have edited 2 posts on this subject.  In both I have removed the reference to a particular brand name.  The BBC article did not name the manufacturer of the cylinder and I am reluctant to do so on here unless it comes from a verifiable source.  i.e. I don't want to get sued by a fire supression company for wrongly naming their product as the type that was involved in this incident.

Please note that many generic terms for argon based gasses are brand names and please don't mention any unless you can source where you got your information from.

Thanks.

[John Webb]

Dear Chris,
Your edit noted and the reason why you did it. I do hasten to reassure you I would not mention any specific brand unless I had seen it in public - and in this case I have no private contacts with anyone involved so could not have got the information any other way.

Although I did not video any of the interviews with the police spokesman I'm pretty sure he mentioned the name as well because that's the only source that was available to me at the time I'd written the first post. But the Evening Standard article tonight did specifically name the gas involved......!

[Chris Houston]

OK fair enough.  Although I still worry that people use that term like "sellotape" or "hoover" when they mean "sticky tape" and "vaccum cleaner".

I think we can have the discussion without the brand names, so if you agree with that, then it might be simpler.  I'm not criticising or complaining, it's just the hazard of an internet forum is that they find it easier to sue "us" than "you".

[Allen Higginson]

Sounds like the transportation covers had been removed before final installation Somebody somewhere won't be having a good nights sleep.

[jokar]

Another case perhaps of human behaviour going in a slightly different direction to that which is wanted or required.

[Chris Houston]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/7718156.stm

[Benzerari]

Sounds like the transportation covers had been removed before final installation Somebody somewhere won't be having a good nights sleep.

Indeed, luckily not me, hopefully I haven't worked for that chap…, who said the docket end up in the bin, otherwise nothing to back me

[Benzerari]

It still in your hand, of not to be in the way of the flooding, since incident are part of our life, they happened and still happening some where else, and will happen some where else for ever... etc

[Buggy]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/7718156.stm

anyone know what extinguishant was used?

[Allen Higginson]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/7718156.stm

anyone know what extinguishant was used?

An inert variant.

[Chris Houston]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/7718156.stm

anyone know what extinguishant was used?

Freon

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/7718156.stm

[AnthonyB]

The BBC seems to use the term Freon to mean any vaporising liquid agent or inert gas.....