Jim Thompson

Email Jim at jim.thompson@ipulpmedia.com

The week of Thanksgiving, 1954, my grandmother was overcome by natural gas and died. The cause was an ancient water heater that did not have a safety valve. When the pilot flame went out, the gas did not shut off. She and my grandfather were vacationing in Florida, and it was a rental house. The flame went out in the middle of the night. They saved my grandfather, but my grandmother had had other medical issues, and they could not revive her. Whether the gas at that time had a smell added to it, or not, I do not know. It is all odorized today.

In pulp and paper mills, we have many gases. Most naturally stink on their own. However, the safe employee must assume they don't all have a smell and that the odorous smell of a stinky one can mask the smell of a far more dangerous one.

It is routine to use "sniffers" to check an enclosed vessel when it is opened up. However, is it routine to check every nozzle inside that vessel for an errant gas stream entering due to a slight pressure differential? Is it even possible? I would suggest pulling the flowsheet for any vessel you are entering and tracing all the lines in or out to make sure one of them is not carrying a deadly gas.

We tend to be cautious around virgin pulp mills and bleach plants. However, in 2008, Several people were killed in a paper mill as they attempted to weld on the top of a tank full or recycled fiber. An explosive gas had built up in the space between the contents and the roof. A welding torch set it off.

Another situation occurred when a worker walked across an outside surface that looked normal but gave way and dropped him onto a steam line that had eroded beneath him. He wasn't killed but perhaps wished for a little while that he was.

What is common in these cases? Things look normal and humans walk into a disaster. Being safe means being cautious and knowing the area where you are and what odorless gases may be there.

Be safe and we will talk next week.

For a deeper dive, go here.

Study Guide: Industrial Gas Safety and Hidden Workplace Hazards

This study guide explores the critical safety protocols and hidden dangers associated with industrial environments, specifically within pulp and paper mills. Based on the insights of Jim Thompson, it emphasizes that environmental appearances can be deceiving and that relying on physical senses alone is insufficient for ensuring worker safety.

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Short-Answer Quiz

Instructions: Answer the following questions in two to three sentences based on the provided text.

1. What were the circumstances surrounding the 1954 natural gas incident?
2. Why was the "ancient water heater" mentioned in the text considered a fatal hazard?
3. According to the author, why is the sense of smell an unreliable safety tool in a mill?
4. What is the primary function of "sniffers" in an industrial setting?
5. Beyond using electronic detectors, what documentation should a worker review before entering a vessel?
6. What specific danger exists regarding the nozzles inside an enclosed vessel?
7. What occurred during the 2008 paper mill accident involving recycled fiber?
8. Why did the welding torch cause an explosion in the 2008 incident?
9. Describe the incident involving the eroded steam line.
10. What is the common theme shared by the various accidents described in the text?

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Answer Key

1. What were the circumstances surrounding the 1954 natural gas incident? The author's grandmother died from natural gas inhalation while staying in a rental house in Florida. Although her husband survived, she had underlying medical issues that prevented her from being revived after the gas filled the house overnight.
2. Why was the "ancient water heater" mentioned in the text considered a fatal hazard? The water heater lacked a safety valve, which meant the gas flow did not automatically shut off when the pilot flame went out. This allowed natural gas to leak continuously into the living space after the flame was extinguished.
3. According to the author, why is the sense of smell an unreliable safety tool in a mill? The author notes that many dangerous gases are odorless, and even when gases do have a scent, a "stinky" gas can mask the smell of a much more lethal one. Workers must assume that not all gases will be detectable by scent.
4. What is the primary function of "sniffers" in an industrial setting? Sniffers are tools used to check for the presence of gases within enclosed vessels once they are opened. They are a routine part of the safety process to ensure the atmosphere is safe for entry.
5. Beyond using electronic detectors, what documentation should a worker review before entering a vessel? Workers are encouraged to pull the flowsheet for the specific vessel they are entering. This allows them to trace every line going in and out to ensure no deadly gas is being introduced to the space.
6. What specific danger exists regarding the nozzles inside an enclosed vessel? There is a risk that an errant gas stream could enter the vessel through a nozzle due to a slight pressure differential. It is often difficult or impossible to check every individual nozzle manually, making flowsheet tracing essential.
7. What occurred during the 2008 paper mill accident involving recycled fiber? Several workers were killed while attempting to perform welding tasks on top of a tank containing recycled fiber. This incident was notable because the industry tends to be less cautious around recycled fiber than virgin pulp or bleach plants.
8. Why did the welding torch cause an explosion in the 2008 incident? An explosive gas had accumulated in the empty space between the recycled fiber and the roof of the tank. When the welding torch was used, it acted as an ignition source for the trapped gas.
9. Describe the incident involving the eroded steam line. A worker walked across an outdoor area that appeared to be normal solid ground, but the surface gave way. He fell onto a steam line that had eroded the earth beneath the surface, resulting in severe injuries.
10. What is the common theme shared by the various accidents described in the text? The common theme is that disasters often occur when environments appear normal and safe to the human eye. Safety requires active caution and an understanding that odorless gases or hidden structural failures may be present despite appearances.

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Essay Questions

Instructions: Use the themes and data points from the source text to develop comprehensive responses to the following prompts.

1. The Fallibility of Human Senses: Discuss why the author argues that sight and smell are inadequate for identifying industrial hazards. Use examples from the text to support your argument.
2. Engineering vs. Behavioral Safety: Compare the role of mechanical safety devices (like the safety valve) with the role of employee caution and procedural checks (like flowsheet tracing).
3. Hidden Hazards in Non-Traditional Areas: Analyze the 2008 paper mill explosion to explain why safety protocols must be applied consistently, even in areas perceived to be "lower risk" than virgin pulp mills.
4. The Importance of Technical Literacy in Safety: Explain how the ability to read and interpret a flowsheet can prevent fatal accidents during vessel entry.
5. Environmental Normalcy as a Hazard: Explore the concept that "things looking normal" can lead to disaster. How can an organization train employees to look past the surface of their environment?

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Glossary of Key Terms

Term Definition

Flowsheet A technical diagram or document used to trace the paths of all lines (inlets and outlets) connected to a vessel.

Odorized Gas Natural gas that has had a scent added to it to make it detectable by human smell, though this was not always standard in the past.

Pressure Differential A difference in pressure between two points that can cause gases to move unexpectedly through nozzles or lines.

Recycled Fiber Material used in paper making that, when stored in tanks, can produce hidden explosive gases in the headspace.

Safety Valve A mechanical device that automatically stops the flow of gas if the pilot flame is extinguished.

Sniffers Portable or fixed devices used to detect the presence and concentration of specific gases in an area or vessel.

Virgin Pulp Mill A facility that processes fresh wood into pulp; often the primary focus of safety caution due to the presence of bleach plants and known chemicals.

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