• About
  • Log on
  • Register
  • Contact
  • Home
  • Safety Resources
    • Incident Alerts
    • HiPos Report
    • Guidance
    • Good practice
    • Toolbox talks
    • Hot Topics
    • Other resources
    • Videos
    • Safequarry App
  • The Fatal 6
    • Overview
    • 1. Contact with moving machinery and isolation
    • 2. Workplace transport and pedestrian interface
    • 3. Work at height
    • 4. Workplace Respirable Crystalline Silica
    • 5. Struck by moving or falling object
    • 6. Road traffic accidents
  • Vision Zero
    • Overview
    • Employee Guide
    • Core Values
    • Fatal 6
  • Safer By
    • Overview
    • Safer by competence
    • Safer by association
    • Safer by design
    • Safer by partnership
    • Safer by sharing
    • Safer by Leadership
  • Public Safety
    • Summary
    • Stay Safe
    • Cycle Safe
  • Health & Wellbeing
    • Quarries Partnership - Dust
    • Mental Health & Wellbeing
    • COVID - Safer by Sharing
    • COVID MPA Resources
  • Awards
    • Enter
    • Event
    • Sponsorship
    • Guides
    • Videos
    • Entries
  • News
  • My Information
    • My Saved Files
    • My CPD Report
  • Home
  • Safety Resources
    • Incident Alerts
    • HiPos Report
    • Guidance
    • Good practice
    • Toolbox talks
    • Hot Topics
    • Other resources
    • Videos
    • Safequarry App
  • The Fatal 6
    • Overview
    • 1. Contact with moving machinery and isolation
    • 2. Workplace transport and pedestrian interface
    • 3. Work at height
    • 4. Workplace Respirable Crystalline Silica
    • 5. Struck by moving or falling object
    • 6. Road traffic accidents
  • Vision Zero
    • Overview
    • Employee Guide
    • Core Values
    • Fatal 6
  • Safer By
    • Overview
    • Safer by competence
    • Safer by association
    • Safer by design
    • Safer by partnership
    • Safer by sharing
    • Safer by Leadership
  • Public Safety
    • Summary
    • Stay Safe
    • Cycle Safe
  • Health & Wellbeing
    • Quarries Partnership - Dust
    • Mental Health & Wellbeing
    • COVID - Safer by Sharing
    • COVID MPA Resources
  • Awards
    • Enter
    • Event
    • Sponsorship
    • Guides
    • Videos
    • Entries
  • News
  • My Information
    • My Saved Files
    • My CPD Report

The Health and Safety Hub for the Mineral Products Industry - aggregates, asphalt, cement, concrete, contracting, dimension stone, lime, precast concrete, masonry, mortar, readymix, recycling, silica sand, transport & logistics

  1. Home
  2. IncidentReports
  3. IncidentView

Fatal 6 - Bitumen spill due to faulty butterfly valve

LOCATION:
ASPHALT/COATING PLANT
ACTIVITY:
MAINTENANCE & HOUSEKEEPING
SUB ACTIVITY:
N/A
ALERT STATUS:
Normal
DATE ISSUED:
25/11/2019 10:06:02
INCIDENT No:
01536

TITLE
Fatal 6 - Bitumen spill due to faulty butterfly valve
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN

WHAT HAPPENED

An external fitter was attempting to replace a pressure sensor probe which was situated at the bottom of a vertical bitumen tank. He removed the cover plate to gain access to the butterfly isolation valve, due to the valve handle being missing he used mole grips to turn the butterfly valve 90 degrees. He assumed because he had turned the valve until it stopped, that the valve was fully closed. This was not the case. He then loosened the damaged pressure sensor with a large adjustable spanner and started to remove it by hand. The sensor probe was easily removed but the bitumen started pouring out of behind the sensor and by then it was too late to put it back in as the butterfly valve was obviously open instead of shut. The fitter was wearing welder’s gauntlets and a fireproof boiler suit but a small amount of bitumen trickled down the boiler suit into the gauntlet causing a burn covering the back of the left hand. The investigation highlighted that the butterfly valves are not suitable as there is no way of positively identifying what position the valve is in. The manufacturer is now fitting gate valves as standard instead of butterfly valves to prevent this issue.
ACCIDENT / INCIDENT IMAGES
Click image to enlarge

Butterfly Valve with Sensor Probe removed
Click image to enlarge

Bitumen covered PPE

LEARNING POINTS / ACTIONS TAKEN

Gate valves utilise a movable gate or door to allow or prevent flow. In most cases the gate is raised or lowered using a mechanical assist of some kind – often a threaded screw. Flow is initiated by lifting the gate and prevented by lowering the gate. The following action is being taken: - All bitumen tanks to be investigated to determine which type of valve is fitted. - Butterfly valves are to be replaced with gate valves during the next pressure sensor change by a trained and competent person. - This work should only be carried out after the bitumen tank is either empty or completely cooled to reduce the risk of this incident happening again.
LEARNING POINTS / ACTIONS IMAGES
Click image to enlarge

LOCATION:
ASPHALT/COATING PLANT
ACTIVITY:
MAINTENANCE & HOUSEKEEPING
SUB ACTIVITY:
N/A
ALERT STATUS:
Normal
DATE ISSUED:
25/11/2019 10:06:02
INCIDENT No:
01536
Click image to enlarge

Request Futher Information
Print Page
convert this page to a pdf
Go Back to Search Critera

About
Mineral Products Association, 1st Floor, 297 Euston Road, London NW1 3AD
Tel: 0203 978 3400
Email: info@mineralproducts.org
MPA Logo
Contact
  • Privacy
  • Developed by OFEC
↑