This video demonstrates the lengths some will go to “get it done”. We can see two workers with fire extinguishers, positioning themselves on both sides of the pipeline as if they know what’s going to happen. These are NOT Hot Work “fire watches”; these workers are there to do just what they expected: put the…...
On June 14, 2021, at approximately 6:50 a.m., an accidental release of mineral oil occurred. The mineral oil ignited, causing a fire. The event resulted in $380 million in property damage and the permanent closure of the facility. Before the incident, the facility employed approximately 200 people. Leading up to the incident, the facility had…...
On December 3, 2020, at approximately 2:30 p.m., an accidental release of chlorine gas occurred at a plastics facility and seriously injured one employee. At the time of the incident, four (4) employees were involved in replacing an empty chlorine container with a full 2,000-pound (one-ton) container at the facility’s Ethylene Glycol unit. The unit…...
On July 24, 2020, at 1:20 p.m., an accidental release of approximately 100 milliliters of silicon tetrachloride seriously injured two contract workers. At the time of the event, contract workers were disassembling a 2-inch flange to remove a blind (a solid metal plate used to isolate equipment) before reinstalling a section of piping that had…...
On April 11, 2020, at 11:25 p.m., a spent caustic release occurred. One (1) operator was seriously injured by skin exposure to the corrosive liquid. At the time of the incident, the operator was implementing a temporary procedure to remove liquid from a chemical hose connected to fill a portable storage tank (“frac tank”) that…...
On January 7, 2023, at approximately 4:55 p.m., about one (1) pound of anhydrous ammonia was released at the facility. Exposure to the toxic ammonia gas seriously injured one refrigeration technician. At the time of the incident, the employee was working on an ammonia compressor that was “out-of-service”. The ammonia compressor is used in the…...
A plastics company was having its 5-year piping inspection done, and the inspectors found a crack in a valve under the 30,000-gallon storage tank. As a precaution, both tanks were drained to safely make the necessary repairs. As part of the facility’s standard protocol, the company called the fire department and conducted preventive evacuations…. Membership...
U.S. EPA has reached a settlement with a food processing plant and its cold storage warehouse, under which the company paid a $1.1 million civil penalty. The company violated federal Clean Air Act (CAA) chemical safety requirements. These violations involve the safe handling of anhydrous ammonia, a hazardous chemical used for cooling and refrigeration. This…...
The three Syrian workers who died of suffocation in the Marj area of West Bekaa, Lebanon in an incident that occurred around August 14, 2025, were not identified by name in the initial news reports. News coverage confirmed that the bodies of the three men were removed from the manhole by the Masnaa Civil Defense…...
A boiler explosion occurred in a factory that processes oil in the Dominican Republic and left a worker dead. The employee died after suffering burns to over 70% of his body. Authorities are investigating the causes of the explosion…. Membership Required You must be a member to access this content.View Membership LevelsAlready a member? Log...
If we asked 100 people if 35 psig is a lethal pressure, how many do you think would answer yes? Those who UNDERSTAND PSI/PSIG know that we can not answer that question without knowing the VOLUME of air being used. Maybe 35 psig is not lethal when it’s inside a sewing thimble… But when that…...
I hope that in today’s workplaces, everyone knows we do NOT “splash fill” flammable liquids. However, this simple fact is often overlooked or unknown when adding a non-flammable solution to a flammable one. Its not the product that matters, it’s the free fall that creates the static within the flammable atmosphere…. Membership Required You must...
