8 killed in SCB fire system fault

Local Hua Hin and regional Thailand news articles and discussion.
Post Reply
User avatar
Nereus
Hero
Hero
Posts: 10869
Joined: Tue Jan 02, 2007 3:01 pm
Location: Hua Hin and Bangkok

8 killed in SCB fire system fault

Post by Nereus »

8 killed in SCB fire system improvement fault

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/general ... ment-fault

An upgrade to fire prevention went horribly wrong at Siam Commercial Bank Sunday night, and eight people died when chemicals sucked oxygen from the building.

Firemen responding to the alarm were delayed in breaking in while they conducted tests to try to find out if there was a fire but they detected no heat.

Reports said there was smoke coming from the basement of the low-rise building at around 9.30pm Sunday. A bank statement stated there was no fire or explosion.

Initial reports said eight people died at the scene and seven were taken to hospitals.

Firemen said when they finally began breaking into the bank building, they found tightly locked doors by bank-grade security. They managed to rescue three people on the ground floor but could not access either the basement or first floor.

Other bodies were found in the next 20 minutes

According to an official statement by SCB, this was "an accident caused by the negligence of the contractor hired to improve fire protection of the building". It gave no further details.

The statement said "gas pyrogens opened" and released the fire retardant. "This caused injuries and deaths", the statement said.
..............................................................................
This product is relatively new on the market, so I guess the same old story being that "we know it all"!

http://www.pyrogen.com/Pyroleaflet.pdf
May you be in heaven half an hour before the devil know`s you`re dead!
User avatar
PeteC
Moderator
Moderator
Posts: 29923
Joined: Tue Mar 23, 2004 7:58 am
Location: All Blacks training camp

Re: 8 killed in SCB fire system fault

Post by PeteC »

Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. Source
Bluesky
Guru
Guru
Posts: 769
Joined: Sat Sep 26, 2015 1:56 pm
Location: Hua Hin, Outback Queensland

Re: 8 killed in SCB fire system fault

Post by Bluesky »

(Exerpt from material safety data sheet)
HEALTH HAZARD INFORMATION

Important: Pyrogen is intended to be used as fire suppression systems in normally unoccupied areas only due to the high obscuration caused by the agent during and after discharge. Since Pyrogen is intended for unmanned areas, the health hazard information is provided to evaluate possible effects of inadvertent exposure to Pyrogen in the event of accident.

Health effects: Effects are different for the solid aerosol-generating composition itself
and for the aerosol - product of combustion of the aerosol-generating
composition



http://www.pyrogen.com/Msds.doc
'Diplomacy is the art of telling people to go to hell in such a way they ask for directions'. -Winston Churchill-
User avatar
barrys
Legend
Legend
Posts: 2281
Joined: Fri Sep 23, 2005 1:52 pm
Location: Enjoying the sea air on a boat around Pak Nam Pran

Re: 8 killed in SCB fire system fault

Post by barrys »

Due to retardant or retards?? :banghead:
User avatar
Vital Spark
Legend
Legend
Posts: 2044
Joined: Wed Feb 14, 2007 10:34 pm
Location: Arcos de la Frontera, Spain

Re: 8 killed in SCB fire system fault

Post by Vital Spark »

I'm trying to get my head round this one. There was no fire, so why were these dangerous chemicals released, and, surely, this type of fire prevention should have been timed to kick in when the building is unoccupied. I do hope that the families of those poor souls who died get some answers from somewhere. You can guarantee that fingers will be pointed in all directions, and no one will be held responsible.

VS
"Properly trained, man can be a dog's best friend"
User avatar
dalmatiandave
Professional
Professional
Posts: 270
Joined: Fri Jul 05, 2013 9:57 pm

Re: 8 killed in SCB fire system fault

Post by dalmatiandave »

Vital Spark wrote:I'm trying to get my head round this one. There was no fire, so why were these dangerous chemicals released, and, surely, this type of fire prevention should have been timed to kick in when the building is unoccupied. I do hope that the families of those poor souls who died get some answers from somewhere. You can guarantee that fingers will be pointed in all directions, and no one will be held responsible.

VS
I read that the fire prevention upgrade went wrong so my head is telling me that the upgrade was being actioned at the time this accident happened, therefore there were people present so somebody or some persons screwed up.

I used to work in a complex that housed the heart of a massive computer system and in case of fire a system would deliver gases that would starve a fire but prevent damage to electrical equipment. I am sure these systems are designed to only work when no humans are present or with a given time delay allowing exit. Maybe a similar system here was being worked on.

Something went terribly wrong but it went wrong and 8 people sadly lost their lives.
User avatar
Nereus
Hero
Hero
Posts: 10869
Joined: Tue Jan 02, 2007 3:01 pm
Location: Hua Hin and Bangkok

Re: 8 killed in SCB fire system fault

Post by Nereus »

I think that a lot of what is going on here is the usual low standard of news reporting, along with Somchai gabbling on as he changes whichever foot is in his mouth.

First they write that Pyrogen is an old system, when it is relatively new. Then they claim that the system was being upgraded to nitrogen. But the best part is that the system may have been set off by dust.

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/general ... xpert-says

I am retired now, but for more years than I want to remember, part of my job on ships and oil rigs was maintaining fire alarm and suppressant systems. The first system that I recall, made by Kidde I think, had a cabinet on the bridge with a system of small tubes running to each monitored space that sucked up an air sample that could be observed through a clear glass tube! I think that it also had some primitive audible alarm.

The next generation, used in many applications including aircraft, used stored pressurized Halon as the fire suppressant. This stuff has been banned worldwide for many years. (That is not to say that it is not still being used here!). The release of the suppressant is usually by some manually operated device, separate from the alarm panel.

Modern systems use electronic fire detectors of several different types, depending on the application. They are connected to an electronic monitoring panel that outputs both audible and visible alarms. Some systems, such as found on oil rigs, also incorporate gas detector sensors. Most, but not all, require manual release of the suppressant. In the case of a building that is not always occupied, then it will be automatic.

BUT all systems, regardless of the release method, will have a built in delay before the release of the suppressant, combined with both audible and visible warning alarms to allow time for any personnel in the area to evacuate.

It has been reported that the above was the case, but with the usual blasé attitude about all things in this country, the warning was ignored.

Unfortunately, innocent lives have been lost again because of this.

edit: the following has just been posted.

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/general ... k-gas-leak

Police focus on negligence in bank gas leak
May you be in heaven half an hour before the devil know`s you`re dead!
User avatar
Nereus
Hero
Hero
Posts: 10869
Joined: Tue Jan 02, 2007 3:01 pm
Location: Hua Hin and Bangkok

Re: 8 killed in SCB fire system fault

Post by Nereus »

And now this:

Two men charged in SCB fatal toxic leak case

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/general ... -leak-case
May you be in heaven half an hour before the devil know`s you`re dead!
User avatar
PeteC
Moderator
Moderator
Posts: 29923
Joined: Tue Mar 23, 2004 7:58 am
Location: All Blacks training camp

Re: 8 killed in SCB fire system fault

Post by PeteC »

I think they'll get off as no humans were killed..."...killed eight pople...." :roll: How can they charge anyone as they haven't concluded any investigation yet discovering what actually happened! Have to find someone quick, quick, quick, right or wrong....that's our motto! I think I'll write a song? :shock: Pete :cheers:
Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. Source
User avatar
Nereus
Hero
Hero
Posts: 10869
Joined: Tue Jan 02, 2007 3:01 pm
Location: Hua Hin and Bangkok

Re: 8 killed in SCB fire system fault

Post by Nereus »

I am doubting that there was any Pyrogen system anywhere near where this happened. For anyone interested the following link goes some way to explain how it works. They also claim that it does not deplete oxygen.

http://www.pyrogen.com/minning.pdf
May you be in heaven half an hour before the devil know`s you`re dead!
VincentD
Ace
Ace
Posts: 1482
Joined: Tue Jun 22, 2004 4:04 pm
Location: Bangkok

Re: 8 killed in SCB fire system fault

Post by VincentD »

I suspect the whole story is not being told.
If an 'upgrade' was being performed, the system should have been disarmed; if it were a new thing it should have been tested before even priming it with the said fire retardants and the testing conducted in conjunction with the local fire department to be in compliance.
There also would be interlocks and panic buttons to prevent such a thing from even happening.
Have worked on aircraft systems before and know what it's like to be called at two in the morning when the fire detection system went off on the company premises...
I'm a born skeptic and this has a bad smell to it..
วินเชนท์
User avatar
Bristolian
Deceased
Deceased
Posts: 3128
Joined: Fri Nov 09, 2012 1:38 pm
Location: Hua Hin & Bangkok

Re: 8 killed in SCB fire system fault

Post by Bristolian »

I read one of the newspaper reports today where the accused directors said that their company was actually replacing the existing ad old Pyrogen system with a Nitrogen system. I'm far from an expert but if Nitrogen was accidentally introduced this would surely deplete the oxygenated maybe have caused the deaths?
"'The two most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day you find out why." - Mark Twain
User avatar
Nereus
Hero
Hero
Posts: 10869
Joined: Tue Jan 02, 2007 3:01 pm
Location: Hua Hin and Bangkok

Re: 8 killed in SCB fire system fault

Post by Nereus »

Why is it that there is no mention of any review or improvement of safety regulations in this, and many similar cases?
I guess it has something to do with what barrys posted:
Due to retardant or retards??

It just goes to show the true value of life in this country.
Napong, Adisorn and Jirawat were sentenced to two years in jail each, suspended for two years because they had never been convicted for any offence before and they could not have prevented the accident, according to the court.
So I take it from that if you have not killed anyone previously, you get off for good conduct?

............................................................................................................
3 sentenced over deadly SCB office chemical accident

https://www.bangkokpost.com/news/genera ... l-accident

Published: 22/12/2017 at 04:00 AM
Newspaper section: News

The Criminal Court on Thursday sentenced two company executives and an engineer to two years in prison each, suspended for two years, in a case involving the deadly chemical accident which killed eight people at Siam Commercial Bank's (SCB) head office in March 2016.

Public prosecutors from the Office of the Attorney-General named 10 defendants -- eight people and two companies -- in the indictment.

The eight people are Napong Suksanguan, 45, managing director of Mega Planet; Adisorn Foda, 51, director of the company; Jirawat Prempri, 30, the firm's engineer supervising SCB's fire protection system; Somkid Tan-ngam, 59, an executive of Jones Lang LaSalle Management; Somkid Chanhom, 36; Treephob Youngprasertkul, 37; Kajornjit Promdeeratch, 45; and Boonserm Krajard, 36.

The two companies are Mega Planet, which was contracted to improve SCB's fire protection system, and Jones Lang LaSalle Management Co, which manages the buildings at the bank's headquarters.

The suspects were formally charged with committing an act of carelessness causing deaths and severe injuries.

Four defendants -- Napong, Adisorn, Jirawat and Mega Planet -- were guilty of carelessness causing deaths and injuries under Section 291 of the Criminal Code, the court ruled.

Napong, Adisorn and Jirawat were sentenced to two years in jail each, suspended for two years because they had never been convicted for any offence before and they could not have prevented the accident, according to the court.

The court also fined them and the company 20,000 baht each, and ordered them to pay 2.1 million baht in compensation plus an annual interest rate of 7.5% to three co-plaintiffs who were relatives of the dead people.
The other co-defendants were acquitted.

The case was brought to court after Phahon Yothin police wrapped up its probe and sent it to prosecutors on May 26. Prosecutors decided not to bring charges against the recruiter of the workers.

On March 13, last year, seven workers and one security guard died and seven others were seriously injured in a document security vault in the basement of the bank's head office in Bangkok's Chatuchak district after the pyrogen aerosol fire retardant vapourised, depriving a room in the basement of oxygen.

Five died at the scene and three others later died in hospital. Of the eight fatalities, seven were workers and one a guard.
The accident occurred about 9.30pm as the workers were working to improve the building's chemical fire extinguishing system. The workers had been assigned to change the pyrogen aerosol retardant to nitrogen in the room as part of SCB's plan to improve its fire protection system.

Pyrogen is a mixture of chemicals that can turn into an oxygen-depleting gas once a smoke-detection sensor is activated. Exposure to the chemicals for longer than 15 minutes can lead to death.
May you be in heaven half an hour before the devil know`s you`re dead!
Post Reply