“The primary investigation was conducted over a period of four (4) months and concludes that
SOL, through its employees and contractors did not take all reasonable precaution as required
by relevant code, standards and best practices to which it subscribes or mandated under the
Dangerous Substances Law (“DS Law”) for the prevention of the incident which occurred at
their facility on 23 July 2017.”

This is the conclusions from OfReg who have published their Investigative Report on the SOL Diesel fuel tank incident that occurred on Sunday 23 July 2017.

You can read the Report Summary on our website – see today’s story “OfReg publishes SOL Diesel Fuel Tank Incident Investigation report”. There is also a link to where you can locate the complete report that is over 60 pages long. It is well worth reading.

That the fire, which broke out due to welding work executed the day before, did not cause devastation is a miracle. The tanks are in a heavily populated area on South Sound Road, at Jackson Point.

Reading the whole Report made me shudder as I have a very picturesque brain being a playwright.

The work was not properly monitored, should not have taken place and when an alarm bell sounded – it was turned off! The contractors working on the tank totally ignored the warning.

The fuel tank that caught fire was filled with 15,000 barrels (525,000 gallons) of diesel fuel. It took more than eight hours to contain. It resulted in a mass evacuation of homes around the area of the fuel terminal.

The tank was in such a state it should have been taken out of service because of the scope of work that was required on it. Being taken out of service would have meant the tank should have been emptied BEFORE any repairs could have taken place. It wasn’t.

In addition to ignoring the alarm the contractors continued with their welding work. They and SOL, says the Report, did not follow proper protocols, failed to adequately plan the works, and failed to station a “fire watch” supervisor on the job at all times.

The terminal’s internal fire suppression system failed shortly after the fire began.

Because the “conditions under which the works were performed did not appear to accord” with the provisions of the Dangerous Substances Law OfReg says it will use its regulatory powers to take “appropriate action.”

They do not say what this appropriate action will be.

If it hadn’t been to the prompt and courageous action by the Cayman Island Fire Service who had officers standing on top of the tank with water hoses to douse the blaze we could have had a catastrophe these islands have never seen before. Those officers must have known the flames could spread at any moment, and if that had happened the whole tank could have gone up.

Fire Chief David Hails should also be applauded as he was experienced in knowing how to deal with the situation. I just wish our Independent MLA Kenneth Bryan would use his brain more and not utter such wild statements saying Fire Chiefs must be Caymanian, especially when lives are dependent on experience often not learned here. He is very articulate and utters things he knows are popular and will win him votes. That is where I have a major problem with him.

Perhaps he can now make some useful comments on who should be taken to task as outlined in the  OfReg Report. I hope he has read the Report and is alarmed as I am. I wonder if any of the actions and non actions by SOL personnel will be considered as ‘criminal’?

Alarming yes, when an alarm is intentionally turned off. A fire alarm! Especially when diesel is involved and welding work is going on in a highly populated area with other huge fuel storage tanks nearby.