The explosion that occurred in a propane depot last January, which cost the lives of three people in Saint-Roch-de-l’Achigan, was due to welding work on a tanker truck which still contained gas vapors. essence, concludes the Commission for Standards, Equity, Health and Safety at Work (CNESST).
In a report published this Tuesday, the organization wrote that there was “ignition of gasoline vapors inside a compartment of the tank, which caused the explosion, followed by the building fire. Some welding work that was taking place on a tank trailer containing gasoline vapors was carried out inside the building, which “endangered the workers there.”
It was 11 a.m. on January 12 when a heavy explosion was heard – and felt – miles around. A fire spread to the propane depot belonging to the company Propane Lafortune, causing explosions.
PHOTO JOSIE DESMARAIS, LA PRESSE ARCHIVES
In addition to three deaths, the company building was then completely destroyed. Céline Pilon, 65 years old and originally from Saint-Roch-de-l’Achigan, as well as France Desrosiers, 65 years old from L’Épiphanie, and Christophe Paradis, 26 years old from Mascouche, lost their lives during the event.
This caused shock waves in the community and throughout the province. Beyond the human drama, risks of explosion and contamination linked to spills in the Achigan River had also complicated the work of the firefighters.
According to the commission’s account, the worst happened when a worker was welding inside a garage, on the chassis of a tank trailer containing hydrocarbons.
After the accident, the CNESST also said it prohibited Propane Lafortune “from removing the rubble from the site without the presence of an inspector”. It also prevented the company from “undertaking any hot work on or near a tank which contains or has previously contained combustible products”.
The implementation of a safety procedure for this purpose was also required, and the company was prohibited from carrying out welding work on and near a tank that contained hydrocarbons.
Prevention tips
In order to prevent other tragedies of this kind, the CNESST recommends, among other things, that companies “eliminate sources of ignition” in all places where flammable vapors can be found, “including those coming from electrical installations.”
Industry players should also carry out any welding or cutting activity “more than 11 meters from combustible and flammable materials, unless all ignition risks are identified and controlled”.
It is also suggested to prohibit the parking of tank vehicles in a building “which is not specially designed for this purpose”, but above all to clean the exterior of these vehicles to check the absence of leaks in the tank, in particular .
Ultimately and on a daily basis, the commission invites workers to “team up with the employer to identify dangers and put in place the means to eliminate or control them.”
All conclusions of the government body’s investigation will be transmitted to several interest groups, including the Quebec Association of Petroleum Independents, the Quebec Propane Association, the Quebec Trucking Association, the Canadian Association fuels or the Canadian Gas Association. The report should also be distributed to welding and assembly training establishments for training purposes.