The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) and the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) have issued a safety notice regarding potential catastrophic failure of certain nurse tanks.
This is in response to an incident in Iowa this past August where the failure of a tank holding anhydrous ammonia caused the tank shell to launch over 300 ft. Following the failure, third party testing on a large group of tanks manufactured by American Welding and Tank (AWT) between 2007 and 2011 found corrosion cracking, porosity and inclusions in the welds where the heads and shells of the nurse tanks were joined.
The new safety notice pertains to nurse tanks with manufacture dates between Jan. 1, 2007, and Dec. 31, 2011, by AWT at their plant in Fremont, Ohio. The FMCSA and PHMSA recommend the owners of these tanks conduct voluntary visual inspections, thickness testing and pressure testing at least every five years. If the owner is unable to conduct pressure testing, they recommend either radiographic or ultrasonic testing.
