NFPA Journal - May/June 2012 - (Page 38)

>>firewatch Leaking LP-gas tank causes house explosion NORTH DAKOTA—Two adults were injured and their baby girl was killed when LP-gas from a leaking tank collected in the basement of their home and ignited when the water pump began operating. The single-family, wood-frame home had a concrete block foundation and a roof covered with asphalt shingles. The presence of smoke alarms or sprinklers was not reported. When the family arrived home in the late afternoon on the day of the explosion and smelled gas, they opened the windows and left the house for a while. When they returned, they could still smell gas, so the man told the woman to go outside with the baby. He then went to the basement to turn the water heater control to pilot and returned to the first floor. He had just turned the faucet in the bathroom on to wash his hands when an explosion demolished the house. It was later discovered that turning the water on caused a drop in the water tank pressure, creating a spark that caused the LP-gas to explode. Neighbors heard the explosion and called 911 at 7:46 p.m., then went to help the family. They found the man in the wreckage of the house and the woman some 50 feet (15 meters) away from it. The baby was found dead more than 75 feet (23 meters) away from the house. All three were taken to the hospital. Investigators traced the leaking LP-gas to a 500-gallon (1,893-liter) tank. The occupants had requested a delivery of LP-gas the night before the explosion because they had run out, and the gas was delivered that day. The delivery person did not detect the leak at the valve. The investigator concluded that the delivery person had not properly tested the tank regulator and shut-off valve because the family was not at home when he delivered the gas. Nor was the tank red-tagged, or the occupants instructed to call to have the lines bled and pilot lights relit. Over time, the leaking gas accumulated until the water pump provided the ignition source. Neither loss estimates nor the victims’ ages were reported. Assembly Suppression systems control restaurant grease fire PENNSYLVANIA—A kitchen extinguishing system and a sprinkler that activated during a fire in an Asian restaurant limited fire damage. The single-story restaurant building, which was 20 feet (6 meters) wide and 40 feet (12 meters) long, was protected by a wet-pipe sprinkler system and a kitchen hood suppression system, both of which were connected to a monitored fire alarm system. Investigators determined that the fire started in grease deposits that had formed in the bottom of smoke box COUNTERSTRIKE HELPS FIGHT GAS FIRES BY PREVENTING THEM ® OmegaFlex is committed to supplying the safest gas piping products. That’s why we now only sell CounterStrike®. In 2004 OmegaFlex® advanced CSST technology with the introduction of the ﬁrst conductive jacketed CSST that featured all the same beneﬁts of Tracpipe® but with built-in lightning resistance protection. In 2011 OmegaFlex transitioned its line of yellow CSST to its CounterStrike® product in the United States. This voluntary transition reﬂects the company’s continued commitment to innovation and safety. After 8 years, millions of feet, and tens of thousands of installations, there has been no lightning damage to CounterStrike®. ® ® Flexible Gas Piping by OmegaFlex Visit our new website at www.tracpipe.com © Copyright Omega Flex 2012 OmegaFlex, Inc. 451 Creamery Way • Exton, PA 19341 • 1-800-671-8622 ISO 9001 Registered Company FGP-664 04/2012 38 NFPA JOURNAL MAY/JUNE 2012 http://www.tracpipe.com http://www.tracpipe.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of NFPA Journal - May/June 2012

Nfpa Journal - May/june 2012
Contents
First Word
In a Flash
Perspectives
Firewatch
Research
Heads Up
Structural Ops
In Compliance
Buzz Words
Outreach
Electrical Safety
Wildfire Watch
Treasurer's Report
Signal Concern
Giant Steps
13^3
Sprinklered Menagerie?
Free Samples
Eye on Health Care
Membership: The Sections
Expo Preview: Exhibitors' Showcase
Looking Back

NFPA Journal - May/June 2012