Little General Store Propane Explosion - US Chemical Safety and ...

Little General Store September 2008
Figure 10. Incident tank side facing building.
During the release, witnesses described seeing billowing white clouds striking the building and roof
overhang and cascading toward the ground, which is consistent with the known behavior of propane
vapor following a liquid release. The peaked roof of the store overhung the exterior walls. The overhang
was open to allow ventilation in the store’s attic space; restroom exhaust ducts terminated inside the
overhang directly above the incident tank. The open overhang and restroom exhaust ducts provided a
direct pathway for propane to enter the building. The CSB found that if the tank were placed at least 10
feet from the store, propane likely would not have entered the store in large quantities.
5.2.1 Southern Sun Acquisition
Ferrellgas’ acquisition of Southern Sun included a pre-acquisition review of Southern Sun’s business and
operations, which included inspections of propane systems at select Southern Sun customer locations. In
addition, Ferrellgas was allowed to identify and request correction of any deficiencies discovered in the
year following the acquisition. According to Southern Sun, only two propane tanks were returned, both
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