Annual Report on High Pressure Gas
Related Accidents(2022 version)

The High Pressure Gas Safety Institute of Japan (KHK)1.

Introduction

This Annual Report is a compilation of statistics on accidents related to the High Pressure Gas Safety Act
that occurred between 2003 and 2022, with a focus on accidents resulting in injuries or deaths, especiallythose occurred at manufacturing plants for high pressure gas.
Note that among high pressure gas-related accidents, this Annual Report excludes those involving general
consumers, which pertain to the Act on the Securing of Safety and the Optimization of Transaction ofLiquefied Petroleum Gas.
About accidents resulting in injuries or deaths“Accidents resulting in injuries or deaths” refer to accidents resulting in death, serious
injury, or minor injury to a total of one or more people.
The definitions of death, serious injury, and minor injury are as follows.
Death: the victim dies within five days of the occurrence of the accident.
Serious injury: the victim requires at least 30 days for treatment of injuries.
Minor injury: the victim requires less than 30 days for treatment of injuries.

2.

Changes in the numbers of accidents resulting in injuries or deaths and of deaths related to theHigh Pressure Gas Safety Act

The changes in the numbers of accidents resulting in injuries or deaths and the numbers of deaths related tothe High Pressure Gas Safety Act between 2003 and 2022 are shown in Fig. 1. Between 28 and 57
accidents resulting in injuries or deaths occur each year, with numbers remaining steady overall. Thenumbers of deaths range between zero and eight people per year. In 2021, 6 people died caused by CO2 gasleakage from the storage facility (2 accidents).

Fig. 1: Changes in the numbers of accidents resulting in injuries or deaths and of deaths related to the High
Pressure Gas Safety Act (2003 - 2022)
3.

Changes in the numbers of accidents resulting in injuries or deaths and of deaths at
manufacturing plants for high pressure gas

The changes in the numbers of accidents resulting in injuries or deaths at manufacturing plants for highpressure gas between 2003 and 2022 are shown in Fig. 2. The total number of accidents resulting in injuries
Copyright © The High Pressure Gas Safety Institute of Japanor deaths fluctuates with a maximum of 21 per year. Looked at by industry, the largest number of accidents
resulting in injuries or deaths occur in the “Other industrial gas” field. The “Other industrial gas” field
includes filling stations, ironworks, food manufacturing, etc. The second-largest number of accidents
resulting in injuries or deaths occurs in the “General chemicals” field, with the number of accidents
resulting in injuries or deaths occurring in the “Other industrial gas” and “General chemicals” fields
together making up around 75% of all accidents resulting in injuries or deaths.

Fig. 2: Change in the numbers of accidents resulting in injuries or deaths at manufacturing plants
for high pressure gas (2003 - 2022)
Fig. 3 shows the numbers of deaths in accidents occurring at manufacturing plants for high pressure gas.
There have been 14 deaths over the past 20 years. Looked at by industry, a large number of deaths, those ofeight people, have occurred in the “Other industrial gas” field. The “Other industrial gas” fieldencompasses accidents which take place at filling stations, and in refrigerating and air conditioning. The
causes of accidents resulting in deaths include the bursting of containers, leakage of poisonous gases, etc.
On the other hand, there have been no accidents resulting in deaths in the “Oil refining” field between 2003
and 2022.

Fig. 3: Change in the numbers of deaths at manufacturing plants for high pressure gas (2003 - 2022)
Copyright © The High Pressure Gas Safety Institute of Japan

4.

Analysis of accidents resulting in injuries or deaths at manufacturing plants for high pressuregas by type of phenomenon

4.1. Breakdown of types of phenomenon involved in accidents resulting in injuries or deaths atmanufacturing plants for high pressure gas (2022)
The breakdown of the types of phenomenon involved in the 13 accidents resulting in injuries or deaths
which occurred at manufacturing plants for high pressure gas in 2022 and the numbers of resulting deaths
are shown in Table 1.
Note that accidents in which leakages led to explosions or fires are classified as “Explosions” or “Fires.”
Table 1: Breakdown of types of phenomenon involved in accidents resulting in injuries or deaths
at manufacturing plants for high pressure gas (2022)
Phenomenon causing the accident
Leakages
Fires, explosions
Leakages → Fires
FiresExplosions
Bursting, ruptures, etc.
Other (oxygen deficiency within the tank)
Total

Number of cases
731200313

Number of deaths
0000001
1

4.2 Changes in the numbers of accidents caused by fires and explosions and of resulting injuries ordeaths at manufacturing plants for high pressure gas
Of the accidents resulting in injuries or deaths, which occurred at manufacturing plants for high pressuregas between 2003 and 2022, the change in the numbers caused by fires and explosions is shown in Fig. 4.
Looked at by industry, many of the accidents resulting in injuries or deaths caused by fires and explosions
occurred in the “Other industrial gas” field, a similar trend to that seen in Fig. 2.

Fig. 4: Change in the numbers of accidents caused by fires and explosions at manufacturing plants
for high pressure gas (2003 – 2022)

Copyright © The High Pressure Gas Safety Institute of Japan

Fig. 5 shows the change in the numbers of deaths at manufacturing plants for high pressure gas related toaccidents caused by fires and explosions. There were three deaths in the 20 years between 2003 and 2022.
By comparison with Fig. 3, we can see that of the accidents resulting in deaths, which occurred at
manufacturing plants for high pressure gas, 11 deaths were caused by accidents other than fires orexplosions.

Fig. 5: Change in the numbers of deaths due to accidents caused by fires and explosions
at manufacturing plants for high pressure gas (2003 – 2022)
4.3 Changes in the numbers of accidents caused by leakages (excluding leakages which led to fires
or explosions) and of resulting injuries or deaths at manufacturing plants for high pressure gas
Of the accidents resulting in injuries or deaths, which occurred at manufacturing plants for high pressuregas between 2003 and 2022, the change in the number caused only by leakages is shown in Fig. 6. Looked
at by industry, many of the accidents resulting in injuries or deaths caused by fires and explosions occurredin the “Other industrial gas” field, a similar trend to that seen in Fig. 2.

Fig. 6: Change in the numbers of accidents caused by leakages at manufacturing plants
for high pressure gas (2003 – 2022)

Copyright © The High Pressure Gas Safety Institute of Japan

Fig. 7 shows the change in the numbers of deaths at manufacturing plants for high pressure gas related toaccidents caused by leakages. There were four deaths in the 20 years between 2003 and 2022. The maincause of accidents resulting in deaths was leakage of poisonous gases.

Fig. 7: Change in the numbers of deaths due to accidents caused by leakages at manufacturing plants
for high pressure gas (2003 – 2022)

Contact for inquiries related to this document

The High Pressure Gas Safety Institute of Japan (KHK)
General Affairs and Planning Department
General Planning and International Affairs Group
4-3-13 Toranomon, Minato-ku, Tokyo 105-8447
TEL: +81-3-3436-1704 FAX: +81-3-3436-5704
Web: http://www.khk.or.jp/english/index.html
MAIL: oversea@khk.or.jp
Copyright © The High Pressure Gas Safety Institute of Japan