The National Transportation Safety Board recently issued its preliminary report on a tank trailer explosion that killed a driver in North Carolina.
The DOT 407 aluminum cargo tank owned and operated by chemical and ingredient distributor Brenntag was carrying approximately 1,100 gallons of sodium hydroxide when it exploded April 7 at the Carolina Beverage Group (CBG) facility in Mooresville, North Carolina. The driver, who Brenntag employees say reported a leak after arriving at the facility, was behind the five-compartment trailer when it exploded, according to witnesses. Security video footage from the facility also showed a white vapor emitting from the underside of the trailer near the fifth compartment.
“Witnesses at the CBG facility told NTSB investigators that immediately before the explosion, the driver was walking behind Compartment 5,” NTSB said in its May 7 report. “As a result of the explosion, Compartment 5 was separated from the other compartments of the cargo tank.”
Additionally, a CBG employee who suffered minor injuries due to the explosion was transported to a medical center in Charlotte, where she was treated and released, NTSB said.
While on scene, NTSB investigators observed that the liquid line hose used to load and off-load material from Compartment 5 was not connected to the CBG facility’s receiving connection. All aspects of the explosion remain under investigation while the NTSB determines the probable cause with the intent to issue safety recommendations to prevent similar incidents.
The investigation includes the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, Brenntag, Carolina Beverage Group, and Dana Transport, according to the report.
