Hazira fire: Report blames lapses by senior officials
The most likely cause of the explosion appears to have been a spark or the falling of a metal object on a metal plate during checking of the seepage, it has said.
The probe also shows that the procedure for repair was not followed by IOC officials, as instructions are to carry out such a task only after emptying a tank. Tank No. 4 contained 5,027 kilolitres of petrol at the time of the fire. “Allowing any repair work on the tank filled with product could be either due to lack of job knowledge or (due to) ignoring of hazards knowing its consequences,” says the report.
Senior management has been hauled up for not adhering to the OISD recommendations and for the lack of preparedness in firefighting as the systems in place had ineffective fire water coverage.
Moreover, workers were allowed in the battery area without work permits or gate passes and without being checked for possessing any hazardous tools or equipment, including mobile phones which are prohibited under OISD norms.
