Eglin Incident: Weather, Water, and What We Learned
Following the incident at Eglin Air Force Base’s Hangar 130, an investigation produced recommendations regarding High Expansion Foam (HEF) suppression systems in three major areas: “changes to HEF suppression system…
Hangar 130: Crucial Lessons in Safety and Prevention
The high expansion foam (HEF) system incident in Hangar 130 at Eglin Air Force Base that occurred early in 2014 left a tragic impression on everyone involved. There were questions to answer: What caused the system to trigger?…
On January 8, 2014, a High Expansion Foam…Fatal Tank Explosion Caused by Hot Work
The U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB) recently released its findings following their investigation into a fatal tank explosion that occurred on July 28, 2014 at the Omega Protein facility located in Moss Point, Mississippi. The…
Fire Safety Design Considerations of Road Tunnels
We recently published a guest post about emergency evacuations from our colleagues at Graphic Packaging that mentioned the Mont Blanc tragic tunnel fire. Shortly after we published the blog, I had the opportunity to attend an…
What’s Next? Aftermath of Combustible Dust Explosion at Burns Lake Mill
Since the two British Columbia sawmill explosions in early 2012, attention to the problem of combustible dust has skyrocketed. It’s tragically too late for the four workers killed and more than 40 injured in these blasts, but…
Combustible Dust Explosion at Babine Forest Products: Exploring the Root Causes
When combustible dust ignited to cause a deadly explosion at the Babine Forest Products mill, a housekeeping issue quickly became a matter of life and death. Two workers were killed and 20 were injured that day in January 2012,…
Burns Lake Mill Combustible Dust Explosion: What Happened?
Combustible dust explosion risk is one of the most challenging issues fire safety professionals face today. On January 20, 2012 in Burns Lake, British Columbia, we were reminded why. Shortly after 8pm, there was a combustible…
Possible Combustible Dust Explosion Leaves Many Questions Unanswered
An investigation is still open, leaving many questions unanswered, in a manufacturing plant explosion and facility collapse that killed two people and injured 10 others. The incident occurred on January 20, 2014 at the…
CSB Releases Preliminary Findings – West, Texas Fertilizer Explosion was Preventable
After a year-long investigation, the U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB) released its preliminary findings in the ammonium nitrate (AN) fire and explosion that occurred at West Fertilizer in West, Texas. Last April’s tragedy…
One Year Later: The West, Texas Tragedy
On April 17, 2013, the town of West, Texas was in the midst of a devastating tragedy, when a fire and massive explosion demolished West Fertilizer Company, causing the deaths of 15 people and injuring approximately 200 others.…
Inside the Eglin Air Force Base Foam Accident
By Jeff Harrington, CEO and Founder of Harrington Group, Inc. High expansion foam (HEF) is used as an efficient and highly effective fire suppression technique, particularly within locations that pose a high risk for fuel…
Fire Hazards in Nightclubs: What Architects Can Learn from Brazil and Rhode Island
Earlier this year, a nightclub in Brazil caught fire and caused over 240 fatalities. Most of the victims were college students who had come for a Federal University of Santa Maria event. The party featured a band and…
Texas Community Devastated by Fertilizer Plant Explosion
Harrington Group is sending our thoughts and prayers out to the small town of West, Texas today in the midst of a devastating tragedy. Last night, a fertilizer plant in West, Texas exploded. Initial estimates say that between…
10th Anniversary of Station Nightclub Fire
February 20th, 2013 marks the 10-year anniversary of the tragic Station Nightclub fire that killed 100 people and injured 200. The fire is one of the most deadly nightclub fires in the history of the United States.…