Ethanol Released

Safety Lesson Learned : Ethanol Released
Location of Incident : Des Moines Terminal

A connector on ½’ flush line of the loading rack alcohol pump broke off, allowing alcohol to spray from the pump whenever trucks were loading. A driver who was preparing to deliver a load of denatured alcohol to the terminal discovered the leak. Approximately 6,800 gallons of alcohol were released. The spill was totally contained, and there were no injuries or fire.

Incident Causes
1. Corrosion caused the pump thrust bearing to fail, creating excessive vibration in the pump and associated piping.
2. The flush line piping was stretched during installation, putting excessive stress on the connections.

Lessons Learned
1. Additional training may be required to assist operators in detecting pump problems before a leak developed.
2. Regular maintenance of pumps is critical to avoid bearing of shaft problems.
3. Pumps must be installed properly and with piping that is capable of withstanding the pressure and stresses of operation.