Aerosol Spray Paint Fire and Burns accident reconstruction

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Aerosol Spray Paint Fire and Burns - Indiana #2

A gentleman and his wife had decided it was a good autumn day to touch up some of the wheels on their RV with spray paint, and to also paint a small table and chairs used by their grandchildren. This work was to be done outside, but the tools and spray paints were inside a (non-attached) workshop. The gentleman went into his workshop and gathered up sanding tools, sand paper and the can of paint. As he was walking toward the door of his workshop he began shaking the can of paint. As he walked past a wood-burning stove, the can exploded and he was engulfed in a ball of fire.

The remains of the can indicate that the bottom of the can suddenly separated (completely) from the can, which in turn caused the explosion and ball of fire as well as a rocketing aerosol container. The top of the evidence container was found lodged in the workshop ceiling.

The technical issues in the case include labeling, the nature of the propellants, alternative propellants, storage location within the garage, the design of the container, and the metallurgical nature of the can itself. Another major issue was whether or not the gentleman had intentionally heated the can on the wood-burning stove. The scientific methods of investigation included experimental simulations, metallography, metallurgy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDAX) and literature research.

Dr. Fox is a Certified Fire & Explosion Investigator who is also an aerosol expert. He made presentations at national societies on the fire and explosion hazards associated with aerosols and was the first to publish a peer-reviewed paper on aerosol failures. He now leads the field in the number of peer-reviewed papers on aerosol failures.