Common Types of Industrial Explosions

This article will discuss the most common types of industrial explosions that workers in various industries may be exposed to during their employment.

What Causes an Industrial Explosion?

An explosion is a rapid expansion of gases.  Many industrial explosions occur when gases are exposed to a source of heat, such as fire, sparks, even static electricity, or an increase in pressure. Industrial explosions can also be caused by chemical reactions.  For instance, when two or more incompatible substances are combined, they may explode.  See Reducing Explosion Hazards.

What Are The Most Common Causes Of Industrial Explosions?

Industrial explosions are catastrophic events that can have life changing effects on those who are involved. Unfortunately, even in today’s day and age these explosions are all too common. While this list is not exhaustive, these are the most common types of industrial explosions that workers may be exposed to in various industries, including oil and gas, offshore work, drilling, construction, maritime, chemical, and others. Here we examine some of the most common types of industrial explosions and their causes and what to do if you or your loved one are affected by one of these terrifying events.

In 2023 the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) issued a report concerning the leading causes of fires in industrial and manufacturing properties. Amongst those key causes cited were:

1. Failure of equipment or heat source;
2. Electrical distribution, lighting, and power transfer;
3. Mechanical failure or malfunction;
4. Arcing;
5. Electrical failure or malfunction;
6. Chemical explosions
7. Combustion Explosions
8. Electrical Explosions

We address each of these causes in turn.

Failure of Equipment or Heat Source

One of the primary sources of this type of explosion is activities around a heat source, such as hot work. For example, a worker using a welding torch may not realize that they are close to another source of combustible material. Work may be inadequately planned such that hot work activities are in dangerous proximity to other ongoing operations. Further, molten material and/or sparks can travel some distance in an industrial setting. These sparks can reach temperatures of over one thousand degrees, becoming a mobile source of catastrophic explosion.

Electrical Distribution, Lighting, and Power Transfer

This category accounted for the greatest percentage of fires catalogued by the 2023 NFPA report. These explosions can occur both in facilities that help produce electricity as well as at sites where electricity is distributed, such as through transformers and power lines. Explosions in this setting may occur due to short circuit, overcurrent, or damaged insulation. Left unchecked, these faults can produce uncontrolled sources of energy and ignition.

Mechanical Failure or Malfunction

Plants and refineries are two of the most common settings for industrial explosions. These industrial sites are a complex maze of equipment and machinery, all of which must be regularly maintained in order to avoid fire hazards. For example, an unsecured pipe fitting may be torn loose from its connection point by passing vehicular traffic, leading to an unexpected release of combustible material. Over time, friction can lead to overheating plant equipment, which can then lead to failure. An unexpected surge in energy can cause mechanical parts to suddenly fail.

Not only does this equipment need to be adequately maintained, but it also needs to be built with a fail-safe margin of error, so that the mechanical equipment can adapt to an unexpected event without experiencing failure or malfunction. 

Arcing

An arc flash is an electrical explosion that occurs when there is an electrical connection through air to ground or another voltage phase in an electrical system. The effects of an arc flash can be devastating on those who experience it, and can lead to extreme skin burns, hearing damage, eye damage, and even intoxication from inhaling hot gases and vaporized metal. One injury that may occur is “arc eye”, a painful condition which causes discomfort from bright light, constricted pupils, and eyelid twitching as a result of a worker’s eyes being exposed to intense ultraviolet rays during an arc flash.

Electrical Failure or Malfunction

Electrical failure is often the result of either pre-existing design and engineering failure, as in the case of a faulty circuit that is not designed to handle the load being put on it, or ordinary wear and tear, such as wiring that becomes hazardous when it frays over time. These issues can best be addressed by having a qualified engineer designing the electrical systems and having annual electrical safety audits and NFPA compliance checks. 

Chemical Explosions

In chemical explosions, the generation of high-pressure gas is the result of exothermic reactions wherein the fundamental chemical nature of the fuel is changed. Chemical reactions of the type involved in an explosion usually propagate in a reaction front away from the point of initiation.

Chemical explosions can involve solid combustibles or explosive mixtures of fuel and oxidizers, but more common to the fire investigator will be the propagating reactions involving gases, vapors, or dusts mixed with air. Such combustion reactions are called propagation reactions because they occur progressively through the reactant (fuel), with a definable flame front separating the reacted and unreacted fuel.

Combustion Explosions

The most common of chemical explosions are those caused by the burning of combustible hydrocarbon fuels. These are combustion explosions and are characterized by the presence of a fuel with air as an oxidizer. A combustion explosion may also involve dusts. In combustion explosions, the elevated pressures are created by the rapid burning of the fuel and rapid production of large volumes of combustion by-products and heated gases. Because these events are likely to be encountered by the fire investigator, combustion explosions are considered here as a separate explosion type.

Combustion reactions are classified as either deflagrations or detonations, depending on the velocity of the flame front propagation through the fuel. Deflagrations are combustion reactions in which the velocity of the reaction is less than the speed of sound in the unreacted fuel medium. Detonations are combustion reactions in which the velocity of the reaction is faster than the speed of sound in the unreacted fuel medium.

Several subtypes of combustion explosions can be classified according to the types of fuels involved. The most common of these fuels are as follows:

1. Flammable gases
2. Vapors of ignitable (flammable and combustible) liquids
3. Combustible dusts
4. Smoke and flammable products of incomplete combustion (backdraft explosions)

Electrical Explosions

High-energy electrical arcs may generate sufficient heat to cause an explosion. The rapid heating of the surrounding gases results in a mechanical explosion that may or may not cause a fire. The clap of thunder accompanying a lightning bolt is an example of an electrical explosion effect. Electrical explosions require special expertise to investigate and are not covered in this document.

See NFPA Guide for Fire and Explosion Investigations, 2004 Ed.

Industrial Explosions in Texas History

Given that Texas is a hub for industrial activity, it is perhaps unsurprising that Texas has experienced its fair share of industrial explosions. Most notably, the 1947 Texas City disaster is one of the most well-known explosions in modern industrial history. That Port of Houston explosion is considered to be the deadliest industrial accidents in U.S. history and one of the largest non-nuclear explosions in world history. 

Years later, Texas City would again experience a monumental disaster at one of its refineries when an explosion occurred at the BP oil refinery, leading to the death of 15 workers and injuries to 180 other workers on site.

Explosions happen all over the State of Texas, however, and some are less well known that others. For example, in 2017 local news outlets in Amarillo reported on an arc flash explosion that occurred at a nearby construction site. The arc flash lead to the death of one construction worker and caused severe, life-long injuries to the other one. 

How Can Industrial Explosions be Prevented?

To prevent an industrial explosion, you need to eliminate one or more of the components of the ignition triangle – heat, fuel, and oxygen. There are 3 ways you can do this:

• Explosion Containment
• Segregation of the hot surfaces or electrical parts from the explosive materials
• Limiting both the electrical and thermal energy and keeping them at safe levels.

A group of experts for the Coal Mine Methane, Sustainable Energy Division (UNECE) identified a few ways explosions could be prevented.  Their suggestions included:

1. Minimize flammable gas accumulations
2. Minimize potential sources of ignition
3. Maintain separation between gas accumulations and ignition risks where practical
4. In designing gas control measures, apply factors of safety large enough to accommodate observed variations – mandatory limits may not be sufficient.

See Best practice explosion prevention.

What do I do if I Was Burned in an Industrial Explosion Incident?

If you were involved in a serious industrial explosion incident, you must work with an experienced Houston industrial accident lawyer for a free, confidential consultation.  At Morrow & Sheppard LLP, we have handled more than a billion dollars on behalf of our clients throughout the United States with a focus in Texas, Louisiana, and New Mexico.

Legal Deadlines that Apply in the Event of an Industrial Explosion

It is important that you act quickly if you or your loved one are the victim of an industrial explosion. Often, the companies that cause these explosions seek to destroy evidence and tamper with witnesses before you can ever try to get justice in a court of law. By hiring the right lawyer, you can make sure that the companies whose reckless practices led to the explosion are held responsible for the injuries they cause to you and your loved ones.

You may not have much time, either. In Texas, you are required to file suit within two years of the accident occurring. While that may seem like a lot of time, it can often take months or even years to properly investigate an accident prior to hiring. That’s why picking the right lawyer is key.

How Much Does it Cost to Hire an Industrial Explosion Lawyer?

A good industrial explosion lawyer should not cost you anything unless they recover on your behalf. The lawyers at Morrow & Sheppard do not charge you anything unless we win your case. 

If you are hurt in an industrial explosion, don’t let the big industrial companies run you over and get away with their harmful acts. Call a lawyer at Morrow & Sheppard now to discuss how we can help get you justice.