From experience - Fires and explosions
- A motor mechanic removed the fuel gauge sender unit from the fuel tank
and started to drain the petrol into a bucket. There was more petrol in
the tank than he thought and it spilled onto the floor and caught fire.
The mechanic sustained severe burns to hands, arms and legs and the workshop
was completely destroyed.
- Deceased was working in a vehicle inspection pit draining petrol from
the fuel tank into a plastic bucket. The petrol vapours were ignited,
possibly by a broken inspection lamp. There were several customers in
the vicinity at the time.
- Self-employed car mechanic was siphoning petrol from one car and transferring
it into the fuel tank of another when the vapours were ignited, possibly
by a space heater at the rear of the workshop. There was an explosion
then fire that completely destroyed the garage. The mechanic was seriously
burned and died from his injuries.
- The proprietor of a garage suffered about 50% burns to his body when
petrol vapours ignited. At the time, he was draining petrol from a fuel
tank over a vehicle pit using a hose to transfer the petrol from the tank
into 5 litre fuel cans.
- An HGV diesel tank had split along the seams and it was decided to
repair it by brazing. The tank was emptied using a hand-pump but not cleaned
or gas-freed. The person carrying out the repair suffered the full force
of the explosion and the fire-ball resulted in extensive burns.
- A welder received serious burn injuries when patch-welding a diesel
tank from a bus. The tank was emptied using a fuel retriever and then
drained. Although the outside of the tank was washed with a hot water
pressure-washer, the inside was neither cleaned nor gas-freed.
