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July 20, 2002 Disputed Nigerian Oil Terminal Hit By Fire
ChevronTexaco said the oil terminal that was targetted by women protesters last week has been hit by a massive blaze, triggered by a lightning strike. The fire broke out in a tank holding 180,000 barrels of crude oil. The firm managed to pump out around 80,000 barrels but the fire raged through the night. Chevron's Escravos oil terminal in southern Nigeria, 320 km (190 miles) east of Lagos, has been at the center of recent protests by local women demanding jobs and investment for their villages. Last week several hundred women who had occupied and blockaded the terminal agreed to stand down their protest after Chevron promised them a school, electricity and clean water.
Source: CSB CIRC
July 16, 2002 Brazillian Refinery Explosion Kills 2
Two workers were killed and five others injured in an explosion at a flare stack of a Petrobras refinery. The blast occurred at the Gabriel Passos refinery (Regap) during maintenance operations. All the victims were employed by the engineering firm, Potencial Engenharia, a Petrobras' subcontractor. Petrobras said the injured have been hospitalised in stable condition.
Source: CSB CIRC
July 15, 2002 Over 200 South Africans Affected by Release from Fertilizer Plant
More than 200 people suffered sulfur dioxide and sulfur trioxide poisoning following a gas leak from a
fertilizer plant in Richards Bay. Following the incident, the management of the fertilizer plant publicly
apologized for the emission of sulfuric acid which was triggered when a
sulfuric acid plant, commissioned in June as part of an expansion project, had to be restarted. A Rescue 911 spokesman said that the cost of the rescue operation was hundreds of thousands of rands and that Richards Bay residents are "spitting mad" with the company, adding that victims will undoubtedly expect some sort of compensation to be paid for medical costs incurred.
Source: CSB CIRC
July 15, 2002 Utah Worker Exposed to Low Level Nerve Gas
A worker at a chemical weapons incinerator came into contact with nerve agent vapor, the first confirmed exposure in that facility's history. Blood tests taken after agent monitors sounded in the room where he was working indicated an exposure to Sarin. The employee returned to work, though in a limited capacity. The incident happened as the incinerator's staff was changing over equipment to prepare the facility to begin processing VX nerve agent. The employee, who was accompanied by a co-worker, was exposed to the vapor during routine maintenance operations on the agent purge line which removes leftover agent from the line that carries liquid agent into the furnace. An alarm system in the room sounded as the workers opened the purge line, indicating the presence of agent in the air. Both employees, who were wearing coveralls and charcoal respirators, stopped work and put on their gas masks. They left the room and, with two other workers who had been observing from an adjacent room, went to the
clinic.
July 13, 2002 Michigan Cherry Plant Ammonia Leak Leads to Explosion
An ammonia leak in a cherry processing plant caused an explosion and fire that gutted the loading dock and mechanical room and collapsed the roof. The Elmwood Township Fire Marshal said four employees were in the plant when the leak was discovered One of the employees was treated at the scene for minor burns. The other employees were unharmed. Officials do not know what caused the leak.
July 12, 2002 Whiskey Leak leads to Evacuation
About 1,500 gallons of Southern Comfort whiskey leaked into the city's sewer system, leading to the
evacuation of part of a Brown-Forman Corp. plant for about two hours. A company spokeswoman said a leaking pipe
caused the spill. A spokesman for the Metropolitan Sewer District said: "As far as alcohol is concerned, it's not one
of the more serious things I worry about getting in the sewers. ... There would be bourbon and water and maybe some
drunk rats." There were no injuries.
July 12, 2002 Tanker Burns, Sinks off Singapore- 1 Missing
A tanker carrying 1,200 tons of gasoline caught fire off Singapore and sank after fire-fighters put out the blaze.
One of the 12 crew is missing and four were injured. The Maritime and Port Authority (MPA) of Singapore deployed four fire-fighting craft to extinguish the blaze in the engine room of the 959-tonne tanker, but the fire later spread to other parts of the vessel and the engine room was flooded to help put out the fire. Due to flooding of the engine room, the vessel subsequently sank after it had been towed to an anchorage off Pasir Panjang Wharf on the island's west coast. There are no reports of leakage of the ship's cargo and the tanks are still intact.
July 11, 2002 Washington Paper Mill Explosion Releases Chlorine
Dioxide
An explosion at a pulp mill released about 200 lbs. of chlorine dioxide gas. There were two or three explosions in a chlorine dioxide tower inside the mill. A Weyerhaeuser worker who was in the chlorine dioxide generator building before the explosions began said a gas alarm sounded before the first explosion, and employees had time to clear the building before the first occurred. The part of the mill where the explosions occurred was evacuated, as were some nearby homes and a golf course. Half the golfers disregarded the warning and decided to play through, however. There were no injuries.
July 10, 2002 UK Ammonia Release at Meat Packing Plant Sends 41 Workers to Hospital
Forty-one factory workers were taken to hospital after an anhydrous ammonia leak at a meat processing plant. A
local police spokesman said: "The extent of their injuries is not known, but it's believed one person is critical. Most were suffering from breathing difficulties." Residents were warned to stay indoors after the incident. Rain helped prevent the fumes from spreading further. The Health and Safety Executive is investigating the cause of the leak. The Dawn Pac plant has been hit by a number of problems in recent months. More than 180 jobs were cut in June as a result of a major fire at the site.
July 9, 2002 Pakistani Refinery Explosion Kills 3 During Maintenance Activities
Three people died and six were injured in a fire at National Refinery Limited (NRL). The section of plant where the fire broke out was already shut down and under annual scheduled maintenance. Some sources said the fire broke out outside the furnace when the workers were on scaffolding to carry out its routine scheduled overhaul. A press release from NRL said: "Four contractual workers inside a furnace got trapped and suffered serious burn wounds." Other sources claimed that the incident occurred owing to the negligence on part of NRL's Safety Department. By law it is the duty of NRL's safety department to inspect the work place and issue a work permit. But, the sources said, "this did not happen and the oil pipeline being cut was not emptied fully". It is further alleged that the fire went out of control as the fire fighting equipment being used was not in proper working condition.
July 8, 2002 Chinese Ammonia Leak Kills 13
Liquid ammonia spilled from a burst pipe at a fertilizer plant in eastern China killing 13 people and injuring 11, a local official and state media said. The ammonia pipe, located in a workshop at the Shenxian County Fertilizer Company in Shandong province, burst around 2 a.m., the official Xinhua News Agency reported. One person died on the spot, Xinhua said, and police and fire officials sent the injured to a nearby hospital. The exact causes of death were not immediately clear.
Source: CSB CIRC
July 8, 2002 Workers Evacuated from Britannia Platform after Explosion
Over half of the platform Britannia's workers were evacuated from a North Sea oil rig on following an explosion in
one of three generators on the Britannia platform. A spokeswoman for Britannia Operator Ltd., which owns the rig,
said the afternoon explosion was contained within the generator, although some damage was done to the surrounding
area, and did not start a fire. The were no reports of any injuries. Some staff were allowed to stay on the rig, but
others had to be taken off because there was not enough electricity to give them showers and hot food. Britannia
Operations runs the Britannia field and is controlled jointly by Chevron-Texaco and Conoco.
July 8, 2002 Pennsylvania Chlorine Release At Pool Injures 1, Evacuates Hundreds
Quakertown's Public Works Superintendent was injured and several hundred people were evacuated from the borough's Memorial Park Pool when apparent equipment failures caused two chlorine spills. An employee of White Rox Chemicals tried to fill a 220 litre chlorine tank and twice spilled the chemical on the ground. "The hose blew from, I guess, too much pressure," said the employee. "I really don't know." During the second spill, chlorine splashed over the employee and the Public Works Superintendent. An estimated 300 litres of chlorine spilled. According to the Quakertown Fire Department, the first spill occurred when the line broke, the second when a valve failed. About 250 persons were evacuated. It is not clear at this time if the spill was liquid chlorine gas or chlorine solution.
July 7, 2002 Ukrainian Mine Fire Kills 35
Coal mine officials violated safety regulations during an underground fire, leading 35 miners to die of smoke inhalation in Ukraine's deadliest mining accident this year. A government commission investigating the July 7 accident in the eastern Donetsk region said officials of the Ukraina mine violated safety rules and evacuation plans when the fire broke out, according to the State Labor Safety Committee. Despite reports of underground smoke, an unidentified mine dispatcher ordered 56 miners to continue their descent into the mine while sending an engineer to check the shaft, the labor committee said. The dispatcher called an emergency rescue team after the fire was confirmed. He then ordered workers to evacuate and change the direction of ventilation despite an engineer's warning that the shift could engulf miners in smoke, the committee said. The smoke filled the shaft, killing all 30 miners inside a trolley and five others who were found nearby or later died in hospital. The remaining 79 miners working at the time were rescued. Checks of other mines showed that coal miners and engineers are poorly trained in how to react during accidents. Earlier reports said the miners had been issued respiratory masks, but the dead miners were found without them. The director of the Ukraina mine and two aides are free on bail pending conclusion of the investigation. If convicted of negligence they face up to eight years in prison.
Source: CSB CIRC
July 4, 2002 Minnesota Pipeline Leak Leads to Controlled Burn
A leak occurred in a 34-inch crude oil pipeline which was immediately identified and shut down, leading to leakage of
approximately 3,000 to 5,000 barrels of crude oil in a remote marsh area. Due to the marshy conditions and difficulty
in accessing the spill site on-scene management, along with emergency and environmental officials, determined that a
controlled burn of the spilled oil would be the most environmentally effective response.
July 4, 2002 Galapagos Oil Spill May Cause Environmental Damage
A fuel tank slipped into the ocean as port workers were unloading an oil tanker on Isabela Island, the largest in the
Renown Archipelago. All 2,000 gallons of fuel spilled into the water and drifted toward nearby beaches. Authorities
released a dispersing liquid into the coastal waters to dilute the slick. The Charles Darwin foundation said the
affects of the spill on the island's fragile environment were still unclear.
July 3, 2002 Russian Pipeline Leak leads to Explosion
The Ukhta-Torzhok gas pipeline developed a leak that led to an explosion, igniting a fire but causing no injuries.
Gas supplies were suspended while workers with the company that operates the pipeline repaired the damaged pipe,
which runs from the northern Russian city of Ukhta to the town of Torzhok in western Russia.
July 3, 2002 Nigerian Barge Blast Kills 3
Chevron Nigeria reported that the bodies of three Nigerian workers were found Tuesday after the barge they were on exploded near the company's Opuekeba oil field. The dead men worked for a contractor hired by Chevron Nigeria, a subsidiary of ChevronTexaco. He said the cause of the explosion was not known, but the company suspects it was an accident.
Source: CSB CIRC
July 2, 2002 Alabama Battery Plant Fire Injures 12 Firefighters
A battery recycling plant that contained sulfuric acid, molten lead and liquid propane fire injured twelve
fire-fighters, with most suffering burning eyes and skin and respiratory problems. Officials worried that runoff of
water used on the fire could contaminate a pond on the property, but said later that the danger had passed, partly
because of heavy rains. It was later reported that the fire apparently started when an overhead electric line came in
contact with the metal roof of the warehouse. The building had been extended under the line which had sagged over
time - possibly exacerbated by hot weather - until it touched the roof.
July 1, 2002 Florida Plastics Plant Release Evacuates 100
About 100 people were evacuated when a mechanical failure at a plastics company released a cloud of hydrochloric
acid. A tank overheated when a cooling system failed, causing hydrochloric acid fumes to be released. The local
sheriff's office evacuated employees of the industrial complex. As a precaution, employees of the county compound to
the north and a small staff and summer school students at Fort Pierce Central High were also asked to leave the area.
July 1, 2002 Japanese Chemical Plant Explosion Sickens 5, Neighborhood Evacuated
An explosion occurred at the Tosa bleaching powder plant of the Osaka-based Nankai Chemical Industry Company, blowing
off a large part of the factory's roof and releasing chlorine gas. Three workers were transferring heated bleaching
powder into a holding tank when the explosion occurred near a dust collector. Five people were sickened and the
incident forced the temporary evacuation of about 70 local residents. Local police closed a street east of the
factory to facilitate the removal of chlorine-based substances from the road. It is reported that there have been at
least four or five similar explosions at the facility in the past.
June 26, 2002 Alabama Magnesium Plant Explosion Injures 1
An explosion at a magnesium plant badly burned one person and caused a fire that took three hours to put out. According to local media reports, the plant has a large vat in which it "smoulders" magnesium. A leak in the roof above the vat allowed rainwater to come into contact with the molten magnesium, where an explosion occurred. The fire spread burning magnesium throughout the building. Some equipment was destroyed, but the building was not.
June 25, 2002 Connecticut Lab Explosion Injures 7
A chemical drum exploded at a research lab, blowing the roof off a warehouse and injuring seven people, two critically. The explosion happened inside a small warehouse used to store chemicals for making batches of test pharmaceuticals. The drum, filled with a solvent containing lithium, first smouldered, then exploded, starting a fire that was contained to the metal building. The following day an evacuation of about 150 homes in the area surrounding the Pfizer Corp. business campus was ordered after possibly unstable chemicals were discovered in the vicinity of the area where the explosion happened. Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection officials said they were investigating whether the blast could have been caused by another container, a 1,000 litre cylinder containing a reducing agent, boranetetrahydrofuran, which becomes explosive if exposed to air.
June 24, 2002 Pennsylvania Propane Explosion Injures 3
Explosions rocked a propane supply company, setting off a fire that severely burned three employees and forced about 200 people to evacuate. The initial explosions were in a large, corrugated metal building that contains a storage area for gas and oxygen and also company offices. The cause of the initial explosions was not immediately known, but several reports indicate a forklift may have ignited propane that had leaked from tanks that were being repaired and refurbished.
June 22, 2002 Chinese Tracking Coal Mine Operators Liable for Blast, Hiding Bodies
Police are hunting for the operators of a gold mine in northwestern China suspected of trying to cover up a deadly explosion by hiding the bodies of at least 34 miners, the official Xinhua news agency said on Monday. It said investigators discovered 14 hidden corpses on Sunday night and 20 more on Monday morning buried by the side of a river six miles south of the Yixingzhai mine in the northwestern province of Shanxi. The Huashang Bao newspaper, based in the northwestern city of Xi'an, quoted witnesses last week as saying 46 miners were killed when an electrical fire ignited 3.6 tons of explosives in the privately-run gold mine.
Last week, the government reported that accidents in China's mines have killed 3,393 people this year. That put the industry on track to match or exceed last year's 5,670 deaths.
Source: CSB CIRC
Sources and Disclaimer:
AcuSafe's Incident News Summary is primarily compiled from news wires, online
sources, and from information shared on the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board Chemical Incident Reports Center. An effort has been made to summarize stories only from reputable sources, but neither AcuSafe nor AcuTech Consulting can guarantee the accuracy of the story, nor do they necessarily reflect the views of AcuTech, AcuSafe, and its staff.
All information accessed in this report is public domain information. We make no effort to independently corroborate the accuracy of the incident news stories.
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