Apparently in the case of the Sunrise Propane explosion of 810, the Toronto Sun reports that the operators of the gas plant allowed truck to truck transfers. For any gas, this is not allowed. Note that I once worked as a gas plant operator in Edmonton.
If true the operators of Sunrise should be criminally charged for allowing and encouraging such a practice. The operator that was handling the transfer lost his life due to his inexperience. He was only a foreign student working in the summer.
The reason that truck to truck transfers are not allowed is that vehicles notoriously have bad grounding. One of the trucks may have had a higher electrical static (capacitance) charge compared with the other. The reason that all trucks must transfer to and from a tank is that the tank can be fully grounded. Trucks that operate on rubber tires can hold a charge and if tying to another truck there is a very good change of a very good spark. A spark is a good source of ignition.
Since the employee was only a summer guy, there is no way that he would have chosen this method of transfer unless he was told to do so. Does one expect the owners of Sunrise to be charged criminally? No. This is Canada.
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