(2013 version)

The High Pressure Gas Safety Institute of Japan (KHK)
Information Services & Research Department
International Affairs Office
4-3-13 Toranomon, Minato-ku, Tokyo 105-8447
TEL: +81-3-3436-2201 FAX: +81-3-3438-4163
Web: http://www.khk.or.jp/english/index.html
MAIL: oversea@khk.or.jp

1.

Introduction

This Annual Report analyzes and evaluates accidents relating to the High Pressure Gas Safety Act
that occurred from January to December 2013, with an aim of contributing toward future high pressure
gas safety measures.
Note that among high pressure gas-related accidents; this Annual Report excludes those involving
general consumers, which pertains to the Act on the Securing of Safety and the Optimization ofTransaction of Liquefied Petroleum Gas.

2.

Accidents relating to the High Pressure Gas Safety Act

The number of accidents relating to the High Pressure Gas Safety Act per year remained around 100
until 1999. Subsequently, it has increased since 2000 and has remained at a high level in recent years.
However, fewer accidents occurred in 2013 than in the previous year.
One of the causes of the increase in number of accidents in recent years is the increase in number oftheft and loss of containers (hereinafter, “theft and loss accidents”). However, it is difficult to discuss
theft and loss accidents by statistically treating them along with explosion, leakage, and other ordinary
disasters (hereinafter, “disaster accidents”), because of characteristic differences. Thus, this Annual
Report summarizes and analyzes the high pressure gas-related accidents by separating the theft andloss accidents from the disaster accidents.
Also, the accident countermeasures manuals were revised in 2011, resulting in significant changes inthe definitions of accidents and items of accident causes. Thus, the analysis and evaluation on accident
causes and others below were conducted separately for the years up to 2010 and those after 2011.
2.1

Changes in number of accidents and analysis/evaluation(1) Changes in number of accidents by year
Figure 1 shows the number of the High Pressure Gas related accidents that occurred in the latest two
decades (1994 to 2013).
In the last five years, the number of accidents occurring in 2009 was 855, and thereafter 964 in 2010,1084 in 2011, 954 in 2012, and 722 in 2013. The number of accidents in 2013 was the lowest of theseyears.
Here, the increase in the number of accidents in 2011 was mainly due to the report of 94 accidents
that caused by the Great East Japan Earthquake.
Also to note is that the number of theft and loss accidents was 422 in 2013 and this number was fewer
than that of 528 in 2012.
1200

1000

Number of accidents

800

600

400

200

Year
'94
Total
94
Disaster accidents 91
Theft and loss
30

Figure 1

'95
113
106
7

'96
98
91
7

'97
91
89
2

'98
96
90
6

'99
94
79
15

'00 '01 '02 '03 '04 '05 '06 '07 '08 '09 '10 '11 '12 '13
121 190 283 385 491 505 556 736 847 855 964 1084 954 772
99 122 139 147 157 166 195 288 350 327 405 490 426 350
22 68 144 238 334 339 361 448 497 528 559 594 528 422

Changes in number of the High Pressure Gas related accidents

Copyright © The High Pressure Gas Safety Institute of Japan

1

(2) Numbers of accidents by category
From this section onwards, the focal point of discussion is placed on disaster accidents.
Figure 2 shows the results of statistic treatment of the disaster accidents that occurred in the last two
decades (1994 to 2013), according to accident categories. A notable feature is that the number ofaccidents has been on the increase since 2000 even though it had been around 100 accidents every
year until 1999.
The breakdown of the 350 disaster accidents that occurred in 2013 shows, in decreasing order, 257
disaster accidents occurring at production works (73%), 45 during consumption (13%), 39 duringtransportation (11%), and nine others (3%).
As can be seen, the majority of disaster accidents had taken place at production works, and the ratiosof accidents in 2013 were fairly similar compared to those during the last five years. Thus, it is clear that
accident occurrences at production works have remained at a high level.
500
450
Number of accidents

400
350
300
250
200
150
100
50
Year

0

Total
Production works
Transportation
Consumption
Others

'94
91
29
16
39
7

'95
106
46
16
42
2

Figure 2

'96
91
27
12
46
6

'97
89
25
13
40
11

'98
90
35
11
35
9

'99
79
29
14
29
7

'00
99
33
19
42
5

'01 '02 '03 '04 '05 '06 '07 '08 '09 '10 '11 '12 '13
122 139 147 157 166 195 288 350 327 405 490 426 350
32 48 59 65 67 100 150 214 251 286 397 301 257
25 28 25 31 21 29 29 27 19 33 26 29 39
49 50 56 41 62 54 95 93 49 81 62 83 45
16 13
7
20 16 12 14 16
8
5
5
13
9

Changes in number of disaster accidents by accident category

Copyright © The High Pressure Gas Safety Institute of Japan

2

(3) Analysis and evaluation based on accident causes
Mentioned above, the definitions of accidents and items of accident causes were changed in 2011.
Then Table 1 and Figure 3 shows the results of the disaster accidents statistics by causes which
occurred during the three years between 2011 and 2013.
Looking at the 350 disaster accidents in 2013, 175 (50%) were caused by inadequate facility
maintenance and management, 57 (16%) were caused by inadequate facility design and fabrication
defects, and 45 (13%) were caused by human factors, together accounting for 79% of the total.
It is important to take countermeasures against inadequate facility design and fabrication defects, andinadequate facility maintenance and management, as well as human error prevention measures suchas education and training.
Table 1 Analysis and evaluation based on accident causes in disaster accidents (2011 to 2013)

0

14

2012

35

11

10

56

64

64

8

28

30

11 205

0

2011

22

17

11

50

67

66

8

38

28

19 226

0

Total

85

38

40 163 196 152

34

87

89

48 6060200180Inadequate facility
design and fabrication
defects

Inadequate facility maintenance andmanagement

Inadequate operational standards

15

41

4

14

69

13

9

45

4

3

17

38

82

11

14

49

86

7

1

45

13

1

8

1

35

3

38 15521 176 100

Organizational
defects

Human factors

Grand total

18 175

Total

31

Theft

21

Others18

Traffic accident

Inadequate container management

22

OthersNatural disaster

Inadequate seal management

65

Total

Inadequate transfer management

57

Inappropriate actions

Inadequate inspection

19

Faulty operation and judgment

Inadequate inspection management

10

Human factors

Total

Inadequate corrosion control

28

Inadequate organizational operation

Total

2013

Year

Total

Inadequate construction management

Inadequate information conveyence

Organizational
defects

Fabrication defects

Inadequate facility maintenance andmanagement

Inadequate design

Inadequate facility
design andfabrication defects

0

58

44

0

69

426

63

0 156

490

38 145350

0 283 1266

Others

160
140
120
100
80
60
40
20
0

Figure 3

Analysis and evaluation based on accident causes in disaster accidents (2011 to 2013)

Copyright © The High Pressure Gas Safety Institute of Japan

3

2.2

Analysis based on phenomenal categories, human damages, and accident classifications(1) Analysis based on phenomenal categories
Figure 4 shows the statistical results of the disaster accidents that occurred during the last two
decades (1994 to 2013), classified by phenomenon categories.
The number of disaster accidents in 2013 was 350, and looking at accident phenomena,
spout/leakage accounted for 325 accidents (93%), burst/rupture for 13 accidents (4%), fire for four
accidents (1%) and explosion for four accidents (1%), in that order. The majority of these accidents
were spout/leakage.
During the last five years, spout/leakage accounted for 1,647 accidents (82%), burst/rupture for 134
accidents (7%), fire for 124 accidents (6%), and explosion for 42 accidents (2%), in that order.

500
450

Number of accidents

400
350
300
250
200
150
100
50
Year

0

Total
ExplosionFire
Spout/leakage
Burst/rupture
Others

'94
91
11
30
34
15
1

Figure 4

'95
106
16
38
38
14
0

'96
91
14
36
32
8
1

'97
89
12
31
36
10
0

'98
90
13
27
36
11
3

'99
79
6
33
33
6
1

'00
99
14
30
42
10
3

'01
122
20
37
39
22
4

'02
139
18
34
68
15
4

'03
147
17
45
65
13
7

'04
157
13
34
81
12
17

'05
166
16
41
88
9
12

'06
195
14
44
115
9
13

'07
288
15
44
211
13
5

'08
350
24
54
248
17
7

'09
327
12
33
247
21
14

'10
405
13
40
312
19
21

'11
490
6
27
405
44
8

'12
426
7
20
358
37
4

'13
350
4
4
325
13
4

Copyright © The High Pressure Gas Safety Institute of Japan

4

Change in number of disaster accidents by phenomenon category

(2) Analysis based on human damages
Figure 5 shows the statistical results of the disaster accidents that occurred during the last two
decades (1994 to 2013), classified by human damages.
The number of accidents resulting in injury or death was 32 in 2013, accounting for 9% of the 350
disaster accidents. The number of persons suffering injury or death was 39, making the number ofcasualties per physical injury accident 1.22.
The results of the same calculation for the 1,998 disaster accidents, 185 physical injury accidents, and388 casualties in the last five years indicate a ratio of physical injury accident of 9% and a number ofcasualties per physical injury accident of 2.10.
The number of physical injury accidents was 32 in 2013, which was fewer than the 43 that occurred in2012. The number of casualties reduced to 39 in 2013, fewer than half from 89 in 2012.
The greatest number of casualties per accident in 2013 was three persons, who were injured by two
accidents of a liquefied gas leakage from an air separation plant and a LP gas leakage resulting
explosion during fusing work of plastics.

Number of Casualties or Physical Injury Accidents

200

150

100

50

Year

0
Number of casualties
Number of physical injury accidents

Figure 5

'94
89
32

'95
59
30

'96
64
38

'97
60
30

'98
57
29

'99
42
23

'00
71
47

'01
75
45

'02
66
47

'03
153
50

'04
54
29

'05
60
42

'06
95
51

'07
85
53

'08
96
56

'09
109
36

'10
80
41

'11
71
33

'12
89
43

'13
39
32

Change in number of physical injury accidents and casualties in disaster accidents

Copyright © The High Pressure Gas Safety Institute of Japan5

(3) Analysis based on accident classifications
Figure 6 shows the statistical results of disaster accidents that occurred during the last two decades(1994 to 2013), classified by accident classifications.
Although one Class A accidents occurred in 2012, none took place in 2013.
Fewer than 10 Class B accidents took place each year until 2005, which increased to 18 in 2006.
More than 50 Class B accidents occurred after in 2008, but reduced to 41 in 2013.
The 41 Class B accidents in 2013 consisted of two cases of death (up to four fatalities), one casegreatly affected to the public, and the other38 cases of where two or more Class C accidents occurred
repeatedly at the same facilities during one year.
500
450
400

Number of accidents

350
300
250
200
150
100
50
Year

0

Total
Class AClass BClass C

'94
91
0
7
84

'95
106
1
4
101

'96
91
0
8
83

Figure 6

'97
89
0
5
84

'98
90
0
8
82

'99
79
0
3
76

'00
99
0
5
94

'01
122
0
6
116

'02
139
0
8
131

'03
147
1
8
138

'04
157
0
7
150

'05
166
0
4
162

'06
195
0
18
177

'07
288
0
13
275

'08
350
0
54
296

'09
327
2
55
270

'10
405
0
59
346

'11
490
3
69
418

'12
426
1
56
369

'13
350
0
41
309

Changes in number of disaster accidents by accident classification
Table 1

Definition of classification by degree of loss
Contents of loss

Class A(1) Deaths

5 or more(2) Deaths plus serious injuries

10 or more

(3) Casualties (death plus injury) 30 or more
(4) Direct property damage

500 million yen or more

(5) Any accident affecting the public, or which could have developed into a large scale disaster(1) Deaths

Class B

1 to 4(2) Serious injuries

2 to 9(3) Casualties (injury)

6 to 29(4) Direct property damage

100 to 500 million yen(5) Accidents repeatedly occurring at the same works(6) Any accident affecting the public, or which could have developed into a large scale of disaster.
Class C

Other than Classes A and B

Copyright © The High Pressure Gas Safety Institute of Japan

6

2.3

Accidents related to the High Pressure Gas Safety Act that occurred in 2013

January 7, 2013

A fatal accident during disposal of residual gas inoxygen cylinder
February 23, 2013

A fatal accident of nitrogen gas leakage fromsafety valve during cooling test in LNG tanker
July 10, 2013

0/1/0

1/0/0

1/0/0

1
Ethylene, Oxygen, Hydrogen, NitrogenB

1
OxygenB

1
Nitrogen
B

Explosion / -Leakage / blowing away the cylinder

Leakage / others(oxygen deficiency)

Accident title

Explosion of premixing tank

Date
Deaths/ serious injuries/ minor
injuries
Overall toll
Substance nameClass
Primary phenomenon/
secondary phenomenon
Situations of handling
Accident causes (maincauses)/ (secondary causes)
Ignition source

Accident outline

During production

During disposal of residual gas
Faulty operation, faulty judgment / Inadequate
Other (Unknown) / handling of cylinders
Static electricity
None
When a student was mixing ethylene,
Although a worker should open a cylinder valve,
however, he turned the valve body by a pipe
oxygen, hydrogen and nitrogen in awrench to release residual gas in an oxygen
premixing tank to prepare a combustion
experiment of mixture gas, the pressure of cylinder. When he turned the valve body more in
the tank suddenly increased and bolts
order to increase the amount of the released gas,
which jointed a cover with the tank werethe valve body got suddenly blown off by the gas
broken, and then the cover hit the working gushing out from the cylinder, and then the cylinder
student’s right side. A part of thejumped out like a rocket. The cylinder hit anotherworker working eight meters away from there, andexperimental equipment got fire at thattime. Immediately after the accident, some the cylinder flew 13 meters away with him.
people who rushed there turned the main
The cause of the accident is believed that, thecylinder valve got blown off by the gas gushing out
valve off, extinguished fire and called thefrom the cylinder, and then the cylinder blew off.
police and fire fighting.
From the circumstances, the mixed gas
is estimated to have gotten fire andburned due to unknown factor during
mixing gas in the tank. The factor isassumed a static electricity because there
were no ignition sources on the tank.

During gas consumption
Faulty operation, faulty judgment / Lack ofoperation manuals
None
Nitrogen gas was supplied from a tanker truck to
a LNG tanker ship for the purpose of cooling testof pipes. The dome house was filled with thenitrogen gas leaked from a defective safety valve
at pipes in the tanker ship. A worker entered into
the dome house to pick up a tool, and then hedied from oxygen deficiency.
The cause of the accident is presumed that thedome house could not be assumed to be filledwith nitrogen gas through the safety valve duringcooling test, though the defect of the valve wasfound when it was installed. Furthermore, awarning sign “Keep out during cooling test” wasshowed in front of the dome house, but it seems
that it is insufficient to make all workers know thehazard of oxygen deficiency.
From now on, all related people have to be
educated about the hazard of oxygen deficiency
by nitrogen gas, and also have to be informed
about prohibition of entry and how to check theoxygen concentration.

Copyright © The High Pressure Gas Safety Institute of Japan

7