According to BSEE, a contractor was injured by a severe flash fire while performing “hot work” on a pipeline skid during decommissioning activities.

W hile cutting a section of 12-inch pipe using a five-foot cutting torch, a flash fire struck the contractor on the right side of his face. Fire watch personnel quickly extinguished the fire, and the contractor was immediately transported to shore to treat his burns. Butterfly Check Valve

Six months before this incident, the pipe was flushed, filled with seawater, and inspected by opening several needle valves. Clear salt water was discharged before the hot work activity commenced.

However, releasing the salt water did not eliminate the trapped hydrocarbons from the pipe. The first cut was made on the lower end of the pipe without incident, suggesting that the line did not contain flammable vapors or liquids.

When the contractor made the second cut on the upper end of the pipe, the gas ignited, causing the flash fire.

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