Ran across a stat that said 60% of boiler explosions happen during startup... found it in an old OSHA report from 1987

Was digging through some old files in the shop last week looking for a pressure rating chart and stumbled on this dusty OSHA booklet. 60% during startup. That blew my mind. Always figured it was during peak operation or when someone was doing maintenance. The report said most of those were from improper purging or not checking the water level before firing. Found a few case studies in there too, one from a paper mill in Oregon that leveled half the building. Anyone else ever seen stats like that or kept old safety reports around?

2 comments

2 Comments

mary_kelly2d ago

60% during startup, that blew my mind" - yeah same here. I used to do boiler work on the side for a few years and we had a rule: triple check the water level before anything. Learned that the hard way after a near miss with a firetube unit back in 03. The purging thing is no joke either. Most guys skip it to save time. That Oregon case is wild, I remember hearing about it from an old foreman.

thomas.cameron1d ago

Took me a minute to wrap my head around that stat too, I'll admit it. @mary_kelly you nailed it about the water level checks, I used to think the real danger was when the thing was roaring at full pressure. Then I read that old OSHA report for the second time and it clicked. One of those case studies described a guy who rushed the startup on a hotel boiler, skipped the purge, and the thing blew a hatch right through the roof. Changed how I look at the whole startup routine completely.