Live support chatThe PEPCON Disaster: Man-Made Earthquake and Inferno
In The PEPCON Disaster: Man-Made Earthquake and Inferno , you'll learn ...
- The causes of the PEPCON disaster
- Characteristics and hazards associated with storing and handling Ammonium Perchlorate (AP)
- How poor material selection can lead to disastrous consequences
- Best practices for facilities that manufacture and store hazardous substances
Overview
Preview a portion of this course before purchasing it.
Credit: 1 PDH
Length: 21 pages
The Pacific Engineering and Production Company (PEPCON) factory in Henderson, NV was one of two companies in the United States that produced solid rocket fuel for the space shuttle program and military missiles. On May 4, 1988, sparks from a welder’s torch used during routine maintenance ignited a fire in the batch dryer building and it quickly spread to the 8.5 million pounds of finished AP stored on the grounds. The inferno and series of seven explosions ruptured a natural gas line that ran directly underneath the facility, escalating the magnitude of the catastrophe. The disaster killed two people and injured 300 others, and caused an estimated $70 million to $100 million in damages.
This course will examine the design, storage, safety management and land development practices that contributed to the scope of the catastrophe in Henderson, NV.
Specific Knowledge or Skill Obtained
This course teaches the following specific knowledge and skills:
- Events surrounding the Pepcon explosion
- The potential consequences of poor material selection during design
- The need for adequate separation when storing hazardous or flammable materials
- How poor housekeeping practices and inadequate fire detection and firefighting equipment contributed to the scope of the disaster
- The importance of performing a risk assessment when making land development decisions
Certificate of Completion
You will be able to immediately print a certificate of completion after passing a multiple-choice quiz consisting of 10 questions. PDH credits are not awarded until the course is completed and quiz is passed.
| This course is applicable to professional engineers in: | ||
| Alabama (P.E.) | Alaska (P.E.) | Arkansas (P.E.) |
| Delaware (P.E.) | District of Columbia (P.E.) | Florida (P.E. Area of Practice) |
| Georgia (P.E.) | Idaho (P.E.) | Illinois (P.E.) |
| Illinois (S.E.) | Indiana (P.E.) | Iowa (P.E.) |
| Kansas (P.E.) | Kentucky (P.E.) | Louisiana (P.E.) |
| Maine (P.E.) | Maryland (P.E.) | Michigan (P.E.) |
| Minnesota (P.E.) | Mississippi (P.E.) | Missouri (P.E.) |
| Montana (P.E.) | Nebraska (P.E.) | Nevada (P.E.) |
| New Hampshire (P.E.) | New Jersey (P.E.) | New Mexico (P.E.) |
| New York (P.E.) | North Carolina (P.E.) | North Dakota (P.E.) |
| Ohio (P.E. Self-Paced) | Oklahoma (P.E.) | Oregon (P.E.) |
| Pennsylvania (P.E.) | South Carolina (P.E.) | South Dakota (P.E.) |
| Tennessee (P.E.) | Texas (P.E.) | Utah (P.E.) |
| Vermont (P.E.) | Virginia (P.E.) | West Virginia (P.E.) |
| Wisconsin (P.E.) | Wyoming (P.E.) | |
Preview a portion of this course before purchasing it.
Credit: 1 PDH
Length: 21 pages
