I think luxfers release is grasping at straws to cover their butt.
Accident at Cave Excursions
- Thread starter SmokeAire
- Start date
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RBachman
Contributor
Where? I couldn't find it on the Cave Divers Forum? Thanks
Curt Bowen
Contributor
Cave Excursions Incident
After a long interview with Bill Rennaker, Owner and operator of Cave Excursions on August 7th, 2004 about the accident, this is a post of the actual facts.
I have not been able to contact the owner of the cylinder for a review of how the cylinder was oxygen cleaned or handled prior to the incident.
1. The cylinder was an Aluminum 30 with an original hydro date prior to 1989.
2. It was in current VIP and Hydro with proper stickers and stamp.
3. By report from Bill Rennaker, The owner stated that the cylinder was oxygen cleaned prior to his trip to North Florida. (Cave Excursions had nothing to do with oxygen cleaning, VIP or hydro of this cylinder)
4. The cylinder had been filled with oxygen prior to the incident and partially used.
5. The cylinder was under pressure when it arrived at Cave Excursions for an oxygen top-off.
6. An employee of Cave Excursions received the cylinder and connected it to the dedicated 100% oxygen fill whip. But had NOT turned on the fill whip.
7. The cylinder slipped or fell over and hit the concrete floor.
8. Without notice, the neck of the cylinder failed causing an explosive release of oxygen encoring in a large oxygen flash fire that quickly put itself out after the oxygen had been engulfed.
9. The explosion created such a force that it demolished the double glass doors on the front of Cave Excursions destroyed the ceiling overhang, and much of the interior of the dive retail facility.
10. The valve of the cylinder and fill connector from the oxygen panel to date has never been located even with the assistance of metal detectors and days of searching. It may be lodged in the treetops.
11. No oxygen from Cave Excursions fill station escaped from the panel, it had not been turned on prior to the explosion.
OSHA required the removal of any item from the dive facility that may contain shards of glass from the explosion to be removed and disposed.
The local law enforcement agency has conducted their investigation and approved the re-opening of Cave Excursions.
OSHA has inspected and approved the re-opening of Cave Excursions for both gas filling and retail.
Cave excursions are NOT filling any aluminum cylinders with an original hydro date, on or prior to1989.
All retail equipment in the facility has been replaced and the shop is currently open, but under repairs.
After a long interview with Bill Rennaker, Owner and operator of Cave Excursions on August 7th, 2004 about the accident, this is a post of the actual facts.
I have not been able to contact the owner of the cylinder for a review of how the cylinder was oxygen cleaned or handled prior to the incident.
1. The cylinder was an Aluminum 30 with an original hydro date prior to 1989.
2. It was in current VIP and Hydro with proper stickers and stamp.
3. By report from Bill Rennaker, The owner stated that the cylinder was oxygen cleaned prior to his trip to North Florida. (Cave Excursions had nothing to do with oxygen cleaning, VIP or hydro of this cylinder)
4. The cylinder had been filled with oxygen prior to the incident and partially used.
5. The cylinder was under pressure when it arrived at Cave Excursions for an oxygen top-off.
6. An employee of Cave Excursions received the cylinder and connected it to the dedicated 100% oxygen fill whip. But had NOT turned on the fill whip.
7. The cylinder slipped or fell over and hit the concrete floor.
8. Without notice, the neck of the cylinder failed causing an explosive release of oxygen encoring in a large oxygen flash fire that quickly put itself out after the oxygen had been engulfed.
9. The explosion created such a force that it demolished the double glass doors on the front of Cave Excursions destroyed the ceiling overhang, and much of the interior of the dive retail facility.
10. The valve of the cylinder and fill connector from the oxygen panel to date has never been located even with the assistance of metal detectors and days of searching. It may be lodged in the treetops.
11. No oxygen from Cave Excursions fill station escaped from the panel, it had not been turned on prior to the explosion.
OSHA required the removal of any item from the dive facility that may contain shards of glass from the explosion to be removed and disposed.
The local law enforcement agency has conducted their investigation and approved the re-opening of Cave Excursions.
OSHA has inspected and approved the re-opening of Cave Excursions for both gas filling and retail.
Cave excursions are NOT filling any aluminum cylinders with an original hydro date, on or prior to1989.
All retail equipment in the facility has been replaced and the shop is currently open, but under repairs.
Oxygen fires have a way of consuming things we normaly consider "fireproof." Fittings and considerable lengths of delivery hose have been known to vaporize in oxygen mishaps. So it's possible, however unlikely, that there is no valve or fitting to be found at all...Curt Bowen:
Rick
OP
SmokeAire
Contributor
Here is the pic of the tank.RBachman:
Chuck
jlayman800
Contributor
Thanks to all who have filled in the details, especially Curt. At least I finely understand what happened.
As far as Luxfer, I have nothing kind to say. The sad thing is they are raking in big bucks replacing the 4,000,000 plus older tanks. I wish there was a good alternate source of scuba cylinders.
This incident was the final straw for my favorite dive shop, ScubaTech in Destin, FL. They are no longer filling tanks made of the old aluminum alloy. To their credit, they are offering a very favorable trade-in deal for those of us stuck with the old tanks. I watched as they destroyed my old tank so it will never be used again. This was my third and final old Luxfer tank and I am glad to be rid of them.
Statistically, the number of failures are very small. That's hard to tell somebody's grieving family and I respect ScubaTech's decision not to fill them any more.
As far as Luxfer, I have nothing kind to say. The sad thing is they are raking in big bucks replacing the 4,000,000 plus older tanks. I wish there was a good alternate source of scuba cylinders.
This incident was the final straw for my favorite dive shop, ScubaTech in Destin, FL. They are no longer filling tanks made of the old aluminum alloy. To their credit, they are offering a very favorable trade-in deal for those of us stuck with the old tanks. I watched as they destroyed my old tank so it will never be used again. This was my third and final old Luxfer tank and I am glad to be rid of them.
Statistically, the number of failures are very small. That's hard to tell somebody's grieving family and I respect ScubaTech's decision not to fill them any more.
RBachman
Contributor
THANKS!SmokeAire:
Rich
novadiver
Contributor
SmokeAire:
LET IT BE KNOWN! If the O2 sticker is a forgery the owner goes to jail . And I'm not talking about Bill I'm talking about the tank OWNER
novadiver:
What do you mean by forged?
novadiver
Contributor
MikeFerrara:
THere's a book called the OXY @#$%^ guide that will tell you how to forge a sticker, I've removed the hole name to protect all of us. don't try this .
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