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August
9, 2001 Three Die in Power Plant Explosion
in England
An explosion rocked the Teesside Power Station in Northern England. Two workers were
reported killed and two
injured with severe burns. The fire following the explosion was
reported to have been quickly brought under control. The power
plant is owned by the American-owned company Enron. The chief executive of Enron
Power Operations, Tim Underdown, said Wednesday that it was too early to
speculate about the cause of the explosion but that the company would cooperate
fully with the authorities. "The power station remains off-line and
no decision will be taken for some time yet regarding its operation," he
said.
August 8, 2001 Ammonia Leak at Brewery Sickens Workers
An ammonia leak at a St. Paul, Minnesota brewing company sent 15 workers to the
hospital. Nearby residents were also reportedly sickened near the
facility. None of the injuries were reported to be serious.
Anhydrous ammonia is used in the refrigeration process and can cause serious or
fatal injuries at high concentrations. Employees stated that the release
may have been caused by an earlier power failure that caused valves in the
system to malfunction. Local emergency officials limited access to a
two-block radius around the brewery and told residents to stay indoors.
The leak continued into the morning hours while safety officials waited for
pressure to fall before they could shut down the ammonia flow at the source.
August 8, 2001 Syracuse Area Bakery Evacuated After Ammonia Release
A leak in a pump fitting is being blamed for an anhydrous ammonia release at a
Syracuse area bakery. Emergency officials report that there "was a
strong, strong odor. We could smell it a block away." It took
nearly 2 hours to shut the leaky valve. According to Syracuse News Online,
the company said the amount of ammonia used for refrigeration at the bakery is
small enough that the company "is not required to have it
regulated". The Bakery employs about 235 employees.
August 6, 2001 Rocket Fuel Plant Blast Kills Four, Injures Two
An explosion at a chemical plant producing rocket fuel near Russia's
Siberian city of Omsk occurred August 6, according to the Russian Emergencies
Ministry. The explosion is reported to have occurred in a workshop
containing chemical solvents, when welding was done on its heat supply
equipment. One of the workers underwent leg amputation surgery and his
condition was listed as "very serious". The plant belongs to the
Russian Space Agency "Rosaviacosmos" and produces rocket fuel for
space launches. An investigation is being conducted by the Emergencies
Ministry, the Federal Security Service, the regional prosecutor's office, and
local interior department. According to the ministry, the cause of the
explosion may be neglect of safety rules, equipment fault, or an oxygen or
nitrogen gas leak.
August 4, 2001 St. Croix Refinery Reports Small Fire
Hovensa LLC reported a small fire occurred in a vacuum unit that desulphurizes
crude oil. It was replaced by another unit, and "it isn't
affecting production", according to a company spokesman. The
St. Croix refinery has a 545,000 barrel per day capacity.
August 2, 2001 Man Falls Into Caustic Tank, Dies
A man working at a Portland metal manufacturing plant
in fell into a tank of caustic degreasing agent and died. The man,
who wasn't identified, tumbled into the elevated tank full of degreaser,
according to the Portland Fire Bureau. No one saw the man actually fall
into the tank. Two other workers at the plant suffered minor chemical
burns when they rescued their colleague from the tank. Health and safety
authorities are investigating the incident, as is the company.
August 2, 2001 Brazilian Refinery Worker Dies
A refinery worker at the state-owned Petrobras refinery in Betim was killed
instantly when a truck was being loaded at the facility. There is no
word as to the cause of the incident, but the company reported that
production at the plant was not affected. The Associated Press
reported that the Oil Workers Union of Minas Gerais state has repeatedly
complained about safety conditions at the refinery. The Union said the
worker was the tenth oil worker to die at the refinery in six years. The
worst incident at the refinery occurred in 1998 when an explosion killed six
people and injured six others.
July 31, 2001 Officials Shut Down Plant For Not Reporting Hazards
Baltimore City Fire officials have shut the plant down because the company did
not have the proper permits to store and use hazardous chemicals, according to
fire spokesman Hector Torres. "We weren't aware that they were
operating or had hazardous materials on the premises," Torres said.
"Until we actually go through the building and inspect and make sure that
everything is the way it should (be) they cannot operate," Torres
said. A one-block area was evacuated by fire officials after the fire
broke out at a three-story brick warehouse operated by JAG Industries, Inc. A
siren sounded warning nearby residents of the situation. Initial reports
said the warehouse contained sodium borohydride, used as a bleaching agent for
word pulp and a blowing agent for plastics, among other uses. Fumes
from the chemical are a respiratory irritant that can cause coughing, shortness
of breath, eye damage dizziness and drowsiness. A variety of tablets
and capsules are made at the plant, including nutrition supplements for animals
and tablets for aquarium water testing.
July 26, 2001 Explosion/Fire Injure 21 Firefighters
An explosion and subsequent fire was reported in the early morning
hours at Ciba Specialty Chemicals
additives plant near Basel in northern Switzerland. An
industrial fire crew operated by Johnson Controls was called to the
facility. They took two hours to get the fire under control. The
21 injured firefighters suffered "light to medium" burns and were
given medical treatment, Ciba said. Although no evacuation order was
reported, local residents were advised to keep their doors and windows
closed, but authorities later said there was no danger to people or the
environment. Ciba said the cause of the explosion was believed to be a
reactor that overheated. Two people who were working on the
reactor at the time escaped uninjured and were able to leave the building
with another 20 employees.
July 19, 2001 Train Derailment and Fire Shuts Down City
A fire broke out after a train derailed in a downtown Baltimore tunnel spewed
black smoke and prompted city officials to close all major throughfares
through the city. Eight out of the sixty cars on the train contained hazardous material, including hydrochloric acid. Local residents were urged to keep their windows closed and ventilation systems off while the black smoke billowed out of the tunnel. At this time it doesn't appear as though there are dangerous levels of chemicals in the atmosphere.
Officials are still investigating the cause. In addition, a water main
break flooded many downtown streets and businesses, exacerbating the
situation.
July 18, 2001 A Natural Gas Well Explodes, Killing 2 and Injuring 5
The natural gas well explosion "shook the ground like thunder" according to witnesses, claiming the
lives of two workers and injuring five others. The explosion occurred in a remote area of western Texas
about 64 miles (103 km) east of Waco, Texas. The well did not catch fire. One of the injured workers was
in critical condition, and another was listed in serious condition and suffering from fractures.
The site of the blast was identifiable only as a mound of dirt in the center of a grassy field where
cows grazed nearby. The well is owned by the Scottish Oil Company. About 10 to 12 Halliburton Company
workers were in the area when the blowout occurred.
July 18, 2001 Shell Oil Refinery Fire Controlled
The Shell Oil Refinery in Martinez reported a fire on July 18, 2001.
The fire was controlled within 30 minutes of its 5:45 am start.
Emergency officials ordered the surrounding community to shelter-in-place
during the episode.
July 17, 2001 Man Killed in Explosion at Factory; Leaking Propane Tanks Suspected
A man delivering a 100-pound propane tank to Fenster Metals, Incorporated was apparently killed when the tank exploded, also injuring two Fenster employees. The man delivering the tank was identified as an employee of Air Products, Incorporated.
One of the injured workers was in serious condition with internal injuries, according to St. Louis Fire Chief Sherman George. As many as four explosions were reported. In addition to dealing with the
explosion and subsequent fire, firefighters sprayed three other tanks that were leaking propane. George said, "they're dissipating the vapors from the propane tanks. They'll be there until the tanks are empty." A resident who lives near the plant says the blast sent flames 20 to 40 feet into the air. The blast ignited a small fire on the roof of the plant.
July 17, 2001 Tank Explosion and Fire at Delaware Refinery; One Worker Missing, Eight Treated for Sulfuric Acid Inhalation
Emergency crews made slow progress Wednesday in containing a sulfuric acid spill at the Motiva oil refinery in Delaware City, DE., a task they had to finish before beginning the search for a missing worker. Once the acid spill is neutralized, hazardous materials teams will start looking for the missing man, an employee of maintenance contractor Washington Group International. The fire broke out about 1:20 p.m. Tuesday, July 17, 2001, at the north end of the refinery, near a storage tank holding 2,000 gallons of spent sulfuric acid. The fire was extinguished in about 40 minutes, but some of the acid spilled, releasing a cloud of toxic gas in the immediate vicinity. An unknown quantity of acid and chemicals used to fight the fire flowed over a protective dike around the storage tank and spilled into the Delaware River. The state Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control and U.S. Coast Guard worked to contain the spill, which killed more than 1,600 fish.
July 14, 2001 Chemical Plant Fire Kills Three
The blaze at the suburban Detroit plant started when a rail car exploded, releasing methyl mercaptan. Methyl Mercaptan is a chemical used in the manufacture of chicken feed. Three plant workers died in the accident and several others were treated for injuries. Approximately 400 residents within a half-mile radius of the plant were evacuated, The company stated that it will investigate the cause of the fire at the plant.
Two of the three men who were killed in the accident at the ATOFINA plant died
of methyl mercaptan intoxication and the third died of methyl mercaptan and
thermal burns. Officials with the Environmental Protection Agency who work
for the agency's emergency response division said Tuesday that ATOFINA, the
world's fifth-largest chemical company, did not appear to have an emergency plan
in place. Additionally, some neighboring residents claim not to have received
evacuation notice about the chemical release and explosion.
July 13, 2001 Gulf of Mexico Oil Rig Blowout Leaves One Man Missing
An oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico experienced a blowout early this morning. The blowout, a powerful release of oil or gas, occurred while the rig was drilling an exploratory well about 20 miles south of Freeport. A man was missing after the crew was forced to abandon the structure due to the blowout. The company is assessing what damage may have been caused to the rig.
July 12, 2001 Arsine Release Sends 138 to Hospital
An arsine release from at a river port of Catoosa, Oklahoma chemical facility
sent 138 employees and workers at neighboring facilities to local
hospitals. A tank of arsine gas, used in the semiconductor industry,
erupted July 11 at the Solkatronic Chemical plant. Workers at Solkatronic and
the Air-X-Changers plant next door were affected. The leak occurred when a
tank blew off the storage arsine tank. No further details were provided.
Tulsa Fire Department's hazardous materials unit sealed off the area and
assisted company workers who contained the leaking tank. Solkatronic makes
the gas, which is used in the manufacture of semiconductor chips for cell
phones, light emitting diodes for signs, vehicle tail and stop lights and in
communications lasers and fiber optic cable.
July 9, 2001 Fire and Explosion at Texas Refinery Injures Four and Shuts Plant Down
A fire and explosion occurred in the hydroflouric acid alkylation unit at the Ultramar Diamond Shamrock (UDS)
refinery in Three Rivers, TX. Plant officials confirm that four people were injured in the incident.
Two of those are believed to have been exposed to the acid, while another suffered heat exhaustion.
Three of those injured, one contract laborer and two refinery employees, remained hospitalized in stable
condition at Christus Spohn Memorial Hospital's burn ward. Hundreds of people were reported to have been
driven from their homes. Some people reported that they didn't hear the town's siren alerting them to the
plant incident, but others said they did. The blasts occurred just after a vapor release and fire in the
alkylation unit of the plant where high-octane gas similar to premium fuel is manufactured.
Hydrofluoric acid can result in burns to the skin, eyes, nose and mucus membranes. It is unknown how much
hydrofluoric acid was released and what caused the accident, said Paul Eisman, Ultramar Diamond Shamrock's
executive vice president for corporate development. Officials from the Texas Natural Resource Conservation
Commission said they had found no signs of air contamination beyond the refinery's fence and no water
contamination.
June 30, 2001 Fire Shuts Down Refinery
An 18-inch pipe failed at Sunoco's Philadelphia area refinery,
releasing large quantities of gasoline vapor, which ignited, leading to an
indefinite shutdown of the reformer unit. One worker on the scene was
slightly injured and treated on the site. The unit restarted on July21,
after a 22-day outage.
June 28, 2001 Chemical Spill Forces Community Shelter in Place
A small spill of trichlorosilane sent up a vapor cloud from the United
Chemical Technologies plant in Bristol Township, Pennsylvania, forcing a
shelter-in-place order on nearby residences. The spill occurred when workers
were transferring the chemical to smaller containers. Plant
authorities speculate that the moisture in the air caused a reaction sending
up the vapor cloud. There were no injuries or property damage.
June 28, 2001 Pakistani Ammonia Release and Fire Kill 1, Injure 24
One worker was killed and about 24 injured in an ammonia fire, following a
leak at the Punjab Cold Storage facility. The leak reportedly caused panic
among nearby residents and "dozens" of people fainted as the toxic
fumes spread.
June 27, 2001 Ammonia Leak from Milk Plant Injures 1
One person was severely burned by frigid
liquid ammonia while trying to shut off a leaking valve at the WestFarm
Foods Co. milk products plant. Initially, a four-block area was cordoned off
and about 24 workers were evacuated from the plant, which makes cheddar
cheese and powdered milk, but favorable wind conditions eliminated the need
for an evacuation of residences in the area. The leak occurred during
servicing of the refrigeration system. The regional hazardous materials team
shut off the valve.
June 23, 2001 Freighter Sinks off Cape Town, South Africa
A Panama-registered freighter carrying 1,300 tons of fuel oil and iron ore
from China to Brazil sank offshore, causing extensive coastal
pollution. All 29 crew members of the Treasure were rescued. The
17-year-old ship sank after a large hole developed in its hull from either
corrosion, age, or stress. The ship was too large to be towed to shore
for repair and was ordered towed further to sea where it sank.
June 19, 2001 Nigerian Pipeline Leak and Fire Kills Siphoners
Up to 30 people were killed as a result of a fire which ignited gasoline
being siphoned from a Nigeria National Petroleum Company pipeline. The
fire extended to surrounding farmland and was burning as of June 24.
There was no immediate comment from company officials.
June 19, 2001 Train Derailment Leads to Acid Leak
Two cars from a freight train derailed at a Union Pacific rail yard west of
San Bernardino, California, leading to a sulfuric acid spill. No
injuries were immediately reported.
June 17, 2001 Russian Renegade
Mini-Refineries Shut down
Two illegal mini-refineries processing stolen oil were destroyed by Russian
police. The refineries were well camouflaged and hidden in a remote
ravine.
Sources and Disclaimer:
AcuSafe's Incident News Summary is primarily compiled from Reuters and AP news wires, 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. We make no effort to independently corroborate the accuracy of the incident news stories.
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