Safety Boilers Pressure Vessels | Alberta Equipment Operators

ALERT - Misuse of Propane Cylinders News / Information / Forms

	Alert - Misuse of Propane Cylinders
	Propane Bottle Turned "Boiler" Killed One and Maimed Another (Article)
	Portrait of a Disaster" - A Safety Training Video
	The Pressure News - Articles of Interest to Owners
	Forms Commonly Used By Owners
	Publications For Owners & Operators
	Fee Schedule
	Training - Pressure Equipment

Alert - Misuse of Propane Cylinders

August 29, 2003

Be aware! A number of unsafe, modified propane cylinders have been discovered on the consumer propane market.

CTC/DOT propane cylinders are commonly found in barbecues and other applications. A number of cylinders that were modified for agricultural field marking have been discovered in the consumer propane market. These cylinders are not legal and not safe for use in propane service. Using these cylinders will flood a propane appliance with liquid propane (instead of vapour), potentially causing a fire or explosion.
Modification of propane cylinders or use of propane cylinders outside their original design application creates a safety hazard, as well as being illegal. We also know of incidents resulting from these cylinders being modified and used to generate steam or as air receivers. These cylinders cannot be accepted for use as pressure vessels under the provisions of the Safety Codes Act.
For details on identifying unsafe propane cylinders, and other hazardous modifications, see the Information Bulletin developed by Alberta Transportation with input from Alberta Municipal Affairs and ABSA.

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Propane Bottle Turned "Boiler" Killed One and Maimed Another

From: The Pressure News, Vol. 2, Issue 2, April 1997

An explosion killed one man and seriously injured another on February 25, 1997 in a private residence near Edmonton, Alberta. It was reported that the men "modified a 20-pound propane bottle to use it as a steam boiler" and "did not realize how much pressure was inside the vessel. The top blew off and it was like a bomb. The base turned into shrapnel." This accident further highlights the importance of pressure equipment safety and the possible serious consequences if it is disregarded. It must be noted that not only is it illegal to design, construct and operate pressure equipment not in compliance with Alberta Regulations, the result could be fatal as illustrated by this accident.

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Portrait of a Disaster - A Safety Training Video

In January 1982, a normal day at an elementary school turned into disaster when an explosion in the cafeteria killed seven children. Several others were critically injured.

The culprit: A COMMON WATER HEATER! The same kind we probably use in our homes, apartments, churches, community centers, hospitals, offices and schools.

BE INFORMED! DON'T LET IT HAPPEN TO YOU!

WHAT WENT WRONG?

The tragic accident at Star Elementary School, and the events that led up to it, have been reenacted in a safety/training video. In "PORTRAIT OF A DISASTER" you'll see the disastrous result of short-cuts gone awry:

improper drainage
poorly maintained temperature and pressure controls
altered temperature-pressure relief valve
inexperienced repair workers
no regular inspection
replacement parts stored improperly

When these factors combined at Star Elementary, people died.

BE INFORMED! DON'T LET IT HAPPEN TO YOU!

A DISASTER WAITING TO HAPPEN

It CAN happen where YOU live!

ABSA Safety Codes Officers (Inspectors) often see the same types of hazards:

drain valves capped off
altered safety relief valve discharge lines
blocked air supply vents
missing or improperly installed safety valves

AND MORE

"PORTRAIT OF A DISASTER" is an essential safety and training tool for anyone who maintains, inspects or operates water heaters:

maintenance personnel
inspectors
plumbers, gasfitters
trades instructors

BE INFORMED! DON'T LET IT HAPPEN TO YOU!

If you wish to purchase a copy of this video, please contact:

Chief Boiler Inspector
Boiler Inspection Division
10421 West Markham
Little Rock, Arkansas 72205
Tel: (501) 682-4512
Fax: (501) 682-4562

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The Pressure News - Articles Of Interest To Owners

The Pressure News, published by ABSA, is an excellent source of information for pressure equipment owners.

Caution: Non-current issues of The Pressure News may contain information which is outdated or no longer valid. If you come across an article which is no longer valid, please inform our webmaster at webmaster@absa.ca.

Pressure News articles of particular interest to owner-users:

Company Annual Renewal of Power Engineering Certificates	Vol. 9, Issue 3 (Sept. 2004)
Pressure Piping Construction Documents	Vol. 9, Issue 3 (Sept. 2004)
Special Considerations for Alternative Leak Testing and Closure Welds	Vol. 9, Issue 3 (Sept. 2004)
Flare Lines and Flare Knockouts	Vol. 9, Issue 3 (Sept. 2004)
Alberta Certified Power Engineers Online Directory	Vol. 9, Issue 2 (June 2004)
Documentation for End-User	Vol. 9, Issue 2 (June 2004)
Requirements for use Boilers and Pressure Vessels	Vol. 9, Issue 2 (June 2004)
Alert - Valve Failure	Vol. 9, Issue 2 (June 2004)
Incident Involving Over-Pressure	Vol. 9, Issue 2 (June 2004)
Pressure Equipment Legislation	Vol. 9, Issue 1 (March 2004)
Failure of Low Pressure Piping	Vol. 9, Issue 1 (March 2004)
Failure of Low Pressure Piping	Vol. 9, Issue 1 (March 2004)
Water Hammer	Vol. 8, Issue 4 (Dec. 2003)
PWHT of Used Vessels	Vol. 8, Issue 3 (Sept. 2003)
Piping Inspections	Vol. 8, Issue 3 (Sept. 2003)
Pressure Piping not over 0.5m3 in Capacity	Vol. 8, Issue 2 (June 2003)
Warning - Block Valve under Pressure Relief Valves	Vol. 8, Issue 2 (June 2003)
Flange Gaskets - A Warning to All	Vol. 8, Issue 1 (March 2003)
Warning - Furnace Explosion	Vol. 7, Issue 2 (June 2002)
New Technical Documents	Vol. 6, Issue 4 (Dec. 2001)
Operator Scalded	Vol. 6, Issue 3 (Sept. 2001)
Fraudulent Material Alert	Vol. 6, Issue 3 (Sept. 2001)
Custom-Designed Large Diameter Flanges	Vol. 6, Issue 2 (June 2001)
Status or Disposition of Pressure Equipment	Vol. 6, Issue 1 (March 2001)
Replacement of Nameplates on Vessels and Boilers	Vol. 6, Issue 1 (March 2001)
Accident Investigations & Safety Awareness	Vol. 6, Issue 1 (March 2001)
Plant Piping - Owner's Responsibilities	Vol. 5, Issue 4 (Dec. 2000)
Short Radius Elbows & Return Bends	Vol. 5, Issue 3 (Sept. 2000)
Alert - Yale 6" Closures	Vol. 5, Issue 1 (March 2000)
A Caution to the Use of Austenitic Stainless Steel	Vol. 4, Issue 4 (Dec. 1999)
Alert - Mechanical Clamp Failure in High Pressure Steam Service	Vol. 4, Issue 3 (Sept. 1999)

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Forms Commonly Used By Owners

AB-10	Boiler and Pressure Vessel Status Report
AB-29	Registration of Quality Program Application
AB-40	Boiler and pressure vessel repair and alteration
AB-40a	Guide for filling out form AB-40
AB-85	Request for exemption 103 kPa
AB-96	General Requirements for Design & Construction of Pressure Piping Systems
AB-97	Accident report form
AB-136	PESL seminar registration form
AB-134	Request for inspection service outside of normal hours
AB-139	Unsafe Condition Reporting
AB-171	Publications order form
AB-502	"Guidelines for Care and Operation of Steam Heating Boilers" and "Guidelines for Care and Operation of Hot Water Heating Boilers"
AB-503	"Condensate Induced Water Hammer Safety Principle"
AB-505	Risk Based Inspection Programs for Pressure Equipment (RBID)
AB-506	Inspection and Servicing Requirements for Pressure Equipment (ISRD)
AB-507	Guidelines for the Inspection of Fired Heaters
AB-508	Safety Codes Act Flow Chart
AB-513	Alberta Repair and Alteration Requirements
AB-514	Alberta In-Service Inspection Requirements

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Publications For Owners & Operators

Publications available in ABSA offices:

AB-501 "Safe Operation and Care of Heating Boilers"

Fee Schedule

Purpose of Fees by Program Area
Fee Schedule

Training - Pressure Equipment

ABSA provides periodic training seminars, including Code Update seminars, National Board seminars, Pressure Piping seminars and Pressure Equipment Safety Legislation (PESL) seminars. ABSA can also provide in-house and customized training for your organization. For more information, please review the Training News page.

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Updated Feb 18, 2010