Accident: ConAgra Natural Gas Explosion and Ammonia Release
Location: Location: Garner, NC
Accident Occurred On: 06/09/2009 | Final Report Released On: 02/04/2010
Accident Type: Flammable Vapor
Investigation Status: Completed.
On the afternoon of June 9, 2009, 4 workers were fatally injured and dozens of others were injured when an explosion occurred at the ConAgra Foods facility in Garner, North Carolina.
Enact a Tentative Interim Amendment as well as permanent changes to the National Fuel Gas Code (NFPA 54/ANSI Z223.1) to require that during the purging of fuel gas piping at industrial, commercial, and public facilities: (a) Purged fuel gases shall be directly vented to a safe location outdoors, away from personnel and ignition sources (b) If it is not possible to vent purged gases outdoors, purging gas to the inside of a building shall be allowed only upon approval by the authority having jurisdiction of a documented risk evaluation and hazard control plan. The evaluation and plan shall establish that indoor purging is necessary and that adequate safeguards are in place such as: • Evacuating nonessential personnel from the vicinity of the purging; • Providing adequate ventilation to maintain the gas concentration at an established safe level, substantially below the lower explosive limit; and • Controlling or eliminating potential ignition sources (c) Combustible gas detectors are used to continuously monitor the gas concentration at appropriate locations in the vicinity where purged gases are released (d) Personnel are trained about the problems of odor fade and odor fatigue and warned against relying on odor alone for detecting releases of fuel gases
(d) Personnel are trained about the problems of odor fade and odor fatigue and warned against relying on odor alone for detecting releases of fuel gases
Incorporate the revised gas purging provisions of the National Fuel Gas Code, consistent with CSB recommendation 2009-12-I-NC-R1, into the International Fuel Gas Code