Faulty tank seal may have caused explosion and killed grandmother in house fire
An oxygen tank, which exploded and killed a woman in a house fire, may have ignited due to particles in the valve and a faulty seal, an inquest heard.
Malcolm Nichol, managing director at Enspec Technology, said there was evidence of “very small particles” in the valve of tank, which exploded at the home of Lynn Hadley, 67, in New Street, Shelfield, Walsall, on April 13.
He examined the remains of the tank, which had let off sparks when valves were turned on by ambulance crews, after the blaze.
Medics had been called to Mrs Hadley’s home as she had coronavirus symptoms.
Her armchair caught fire before the blaze eventually engulfed the house.
More from the inquest:
Mrs Hadley, a grandmother, died from fatal burn injuries.
The tragic incident has resulted in a jury inquest taking place at Black Country Coroner’s Court.
Mr Nichol, an expert in corrosion, said there were “two main possibilities” in how the tank exploded, which was due to a faulty O-ring and particles that were present in the valve.
O-rings are used in gas tanks to seal off air, gases and liquids.
He said the sequencing of how the tank was operated may have played a contributing factor.
Mr Nichol told jurors the particles could have been “generated” by corrosion.
Outlining what he believed caused the ignition, he told jurors: “I believe it was either the failure of the rubber in the O-ring, which may have failed.
“[We] found particles on the spindle – we can’t ignore them. They were very small but we know they were there.
“Lastly, [it was] whether they [the particles] travelled along at high velocity onto the surface of the O-ring.
“The presence of particles in a high-pressurised part of the cylinder could have created high friction, a static charge, and these particles could ignite.”
The inquest continues.
