Dive shop owner killed by exploding tank?

[Blargh]

I *think* it was on this board..... there was a link posted a while ago about a standard tank (full) having the energy potential of two hand grenades ....


Sorry, but I couldnt find it :/

 

[njdiver1]

DOT regulations dealing with the filling of pressure vessels. Don't really think anyone is going to site this individual for filling an out of hydro tank. My State regulates all "filling station" already. Mostly fees collected with very little inspection due to budget cuts.

Originally posted by fredk
for many years we the scuba industry have for the most part been self policing, i would be willing to bet you will see changes there. there is already talk of government involvment in the care and filling of tanks. if we don't properly police ourselves and the governments get involved it's only going to add costs to the dive shops that in turn will be passed on to the consumer.

 

[scubabunny]

If a tank passes hydro, does it automatically pass VIP? We have many tanks sent to us by dive shops in the outer islands to be hydroed. We do not do the testing ourselves, but send them to another site. One of my co-workers showed me the inside of one of the tank necks...and it looked nasty!

Now, I'm not a Visual inspector, and neither is my co-worker, but we both said it wouldn't pass hydro. It did.

We have to ship the tanks with the valves off, so the VIPs must be done when the reach their destination. So...are tanks visually inspected BEFORE they are hydro tested? And, can a tank be condemned on VIP alone?

 

[njdiver1]

pass hydro but still fail vip. The hydro test is for failure under pressure, vip looks for deterioration internally (rust, cracks ect.). It may pass the expansion of the hydro but still have minor flaws that may fail later. ;-0

 

[The Chairman]

A line from Douglas Adams, but it seems to sum up the feelings I have about all of the conflicting information I have seen on the net. You can overfill, or you can't, this tank is better than that one, this testing gives false test results and so forth. I am sure I will not be able to answer all of the questions brought up here and elsewhere on the board, BUT... I should have my own questions answered when I take my PSI tank inspection class tomorrow. Its not that I don't trust my LDSes, but I don't. I know there are corners being cut, and that they are playing the odds, with my life as the anty. I went and learned about regs after my newly serviced Micra came apart while I was DMing a class in Blue Springs. I had my brand new PST oxy-cleaned at the shop I bought it from. I put a dot of paint on the tank neck where it abuts the tank by accident (I was painting my initials on the shoulder of the tank). It was not disturbed when I picked up the tank the day after I brought it in. No, I have not been back to that LDS to complain. I think my next class will be a blender's class.

 

[njdiver1]

info. Their links page is great.


http://www.psicylinders.com/


:mean:

 

[blacknet]

Hello,

Well from what I gather the tank should never have been filled at all. It should have went to hydro. Plus when it was vip'd how can you miss rust spots? Don't these people actually look inside the tank or do they do like a friend of mine and buy the stickers and slaps them on in the parking lot before they get the fill.

Not saying anything bad here but seems to me that this accident was a result of being careless.

Ed

 

[Ed Jewell]

I just want to fill you in about the scuba tank that exploded while it was being filled at the Sebastion Dive Center. This is from the Florida Today newspaper (www.FloridaToday.com).

"Sebastian police Detective Joe Dillon said his preliminary invetigation revealed the tank, which was probably made in 1988, hadn't been preasure-tested since 1991, and the tank wasn't visually inspected since 1999.

Please people, take care of those tanks.

:upset:

 

[scubakat]

I Found this on another list today.

Explosive rupture of a steel 70cuft 2250 psig cylinder. This information was received from an investigative witness who arrived on the scene within an hour of the event, an interview with the investigating detective and a review of police phototgraphs taken at the scene.

On Tuesday, November 13, 2001, at about 4:45 pm the co-owner of the Dive Center of Sebastian (Florida) was killed when an older steel scuba cylinderexploded during fill. Ron Scherrer, age 72, died from massive chest and head trauma. Two other persons, Scherrer's wife and and customer, were in the store but were not injured.

The cylinder appears to be an exterior vinyl-coated Voit brand cylinder that may have an undercoat of zinc. The interior may have an epoxy coat. This type of cylinder was sold in the late 1960's through the early 1970's. The cylinder's most recent observed hydro date was 1988 and latest visual inspection was 1999. Extensive pitting is observed in the photographs on the
cylinder interior. The cylinder split open its full length but did not
break into pieces.

The cylinder was being filled in a water-filled concrete tub having a thickness of about 8 inches with some evidence of rebar present. The explosion caused the tub to shatter, propelling large pieces into the victim and through the store concrete block wall into nearby Highway One. Portions of the building were heavily damaged as was the fill station area. Large air storage and oxgen cylinders were dislodged but did not rupture. Two
other cylinders in the tub were damaged but did not rupture. Considerable damage occurred to various sir system piping and components.

The obvious question to ask is why was a cylinder 13 years out of hydro and 2 years out of a visual inspection being filled?

Bill High, President, PSI, Inc.