A plastics plant experienced a release of approximately 15,825 pounds of styrene vapor from a railcar on 9/1/2020. The railcar had been on the property since May 2020 (4 months). The styrene began its reaction inside the railcar once the inhibitor had been consumed, leading to the release and evacuations ensued for those located around the facility.
The state’s EPA issued a notice of violation stating:
“The load of styrene monomer was not stored and monitored in accordance with XXXXXXX SOPs and the Styrene Safety Data Sheet”
OSHA issued only three (3) citations, but it was #3 that caught my attention. Apparently, this incident was impacted by the COVID shutdowns and this appears to have led to the styrene being left in this railcar longer than normal (e.g. against the advice on the SDS and in SOPs) so OSHA took issue with:
NOTE: the fatal styrene release in India on May 7, 2020 claimed the lives of 11 citizens after a storage tank went unmanaged over a 6-week period of time and it too began its reaction and vented styrene vapors. SAFTENG members can read the final report for this accident.