Video of China Steel Plant Steam/Pressure Vessel Explosion (????)
1/19/2026 UPDATE: “City officials said a pressurised storage tank exploded inside the factory. The tank was designed to hold steam and high-temperature water.” Source: https://www.firstpost.com/world/two-killed-85-hospitalised-as-blast-rips-through-chinese-steel-plant-factory-managers-detained-13970127.html There was an explosion at a steel plate plant in Baotou, Inner Mongolia, on 1/18/2026. This explosion looks to be a steam/pressure vessel explosion. We can see the steam expansion
A 5,200-gallon polyethylene storage tank ruptured fatally injuring an employee
On June 22, 2023, at about 9:10 p.m., a 5,200-gallon polyethylene storage tank (“tank”) ruptured. The rupture fatally injured one employee. At the time of the incident, the tank needed to be refilled with aluminum chloride; however, sulfuric acid was added instead. Approximately 80 gallons of 93 percent sulfuric acid were added to the 60
Lack of ventilation, fixed gas detection, draining hazardous materials SOP, and personal gas monitor leads to asphyxiation fatality
During the morning of February 24, 2023, an unknown amount of hydrocarbons and hydrogen sulfide were released, fatally injuring an employee inside an enclosed building at an oil and gas facility in North Dakota. The hydrocarbons and hydrogen sulfide displaced the oxygen in the building, and the employee asphyxiated in the oxygen-deficient atmosphere. The employee
Contractor’s Scissor Lift causes 22,000 pound fatal NH3 release
On December 19, 2022, at approximately 11:10 a.m., an accidental release of 22,000 pounds of anhydrous ammonia occurred from the NH3 refrigeration process at a food processing facility in Norwood, Massachusetts. Exposure to the toxic ammonia vapor fatally injured one contract worker and seriously injured another contract worker. In addition, the release caused about $4
Not the role of a Fire Watch (HW Video)
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
Catastrophic Failure of NH3 Compressed Gas Cylinder
On Thursday, 1/15/2025, a 150-pound compressed gas cylinder of Anhydrous Ammonia (NH3) catastrophically failed while it was being transported in by a cylinder delivery vehicle. Three (3) people were hospitalized from this event: the truck driver, a poll plaza worker, and a security guard. As of 1/17/26, they are in stable condition. The video and
Contractor’s Scissor Lift leads to $380 million in damages, closure of the facility, and 200 jobs lost
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
Changing Cl2 1-ton cylinder leads to “Life Flight” ride
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
Line Break Gone Bad w/ Contractor (Silicon Tetrachloride)
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
Temporary transfers of caustic solution through a hose results in serious burns
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
Line/Equipment Opening Gone Bad (1 lb. of NH3)
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