December
4, 2001 Hydrofluoric Acid Leak at Texas Refinery Injures 6
A Pasadena area refinery reported that a hydrofluoric acid leak occurred when an operator was checking the operation of a valve. The leak forced plant officials to evacuate the plant after six workers standing several feet away were exposed to the chemical, authorities said. The workers told emergency crews that they were having trouble breathing, and they were taken to a nearby hospital as a precaution and later released. Hydrofluoric acid is one of the strongest inorganic acids, and is used mainly for industrial purposes, such as glass etching, hydrocarbon alkylation, metal cleaning and electronics manufacturing.
Source: CSB CIRC
November 30, 2001 Mexican Factory Fire Leads to Evacuation, Injuries
An intense fire broke out at a dye factory on the outskirts of Mexico City on Friday, erupting in explosions that sent flames, debris and thick columns of black smoke shooting hundreds of feet into the air. At least 17 firefighters reportedly were injured. The blaze, whose cause was not known, torched a factory in the city of Naucalpan in Mexico state. Authorities evacuated more than 5,000 people from a nearby hotel and area businesses as a precaution, but the fire did not spread outside the factory limits. The factory contained various containers of solvent, alcohol and methanol, local media reported.
Source: CSB CIRC
November 30, 2001 Louisiana Crude Tank Explodes, Injuring 1
A Lafayette, Louisiana crude oil storage tank holding exploded throwing a nearby teen-ager more than 100 feet and setting off a billowing fire that could be seen for miles. State police said the 14 year old boy suffered second and third degree burns on his arms and face and was taken to the hospital. No evacuations were ordered, because the closest houses were far enough away to escape damage or danger. The tank stood alone in a cane field; the cause of the explosion was not known.
Source:
CSB CIRC
November 29, 2001 California Chemical Release forces Shelter-In-Place
A community shelter-in-place order was required after a sulfur trioxide leak at a Richmond-area chemical company. A warning siren went off about an hour after the 7:40 p.m. release, and residents were told to stay indoors and keep doors and windows shut. The shelter order was lifted at 11:15 p.m. Authorities are inquiring about the reason for the one-hour delay before notifying authorities about the release. Authorities said the release was fairly small, lasted a short time and did not seem to pose a significant health risk. But it did foul the air, and some area residents complained of respiratory irritation and some stinging of the eyes and skin.
The plant produces sulfuric acid and specialty sulfuric acid blends using spent chemicals produced at a neighboring refinery.
Source:
CSB CIRC
November 24, 2001 Fireballs Explode from Louisiana Polymer Plant
No one was injured at Westlake-area polymer plant when two explosions sent fireballs skyward after a safety valve ruptured. The safety valve burst during what was supposed to be a controlled release of ethylene and propylene. Workers isolated the chemicals inside the pipe to let the fires burn out.
Source: CSB CIRC
November 23, 2001 Texas Refinery Explosion Prior to Maintenance
Three explosions rocked a Pasadena-area petroleum refinery, sending fireballs into the air. Company officials said the explosions occurred after a pump connection to a liquefied petroleum gas unit that was being emptied for maintenance came loose and released gas. The gas then ignited in a giant fireball. One worker received minor injuries in the blast and nearby residents were told to stay indoors and turn off their air conditioners as a precaution.
Source: CSB CIRC
November 23, 2001 Chinese Benzene Leak Hospitalizes 48
Leakage of benzene caused a toxic cloud in eastern China last week, according to state media and local officials. Some 50 kg of benzene leaked from an
over-pressurized storage tank at a chemical plant in Wuyi county, an inland area of Zhejiang province. A broken seal appeared to have caused the leak according to a factory spokesperson, but the agency said police were investigating the case. Forty-six children and two villagers were
hospitalized after inhaling the toxic gas, the agency said. Those admitted to the hospital were treated for headaches, breathing difficulties and throat problems.
Source: CSB CIRC
November 19, 2001 Indiana Dairy Ammonia Leak Injures 4
An anhydrous ammonia leak at an Indiana dairy left four construction workers hospitalized. One worker was in critical condition and three others were stable. Plant employees and construction workers were installing a new refrigeration system when an estimated 325 pounds of
anhydrous ammonia released due to a fractured valve.
Source: CSB CIRC
November 18, 2001 Two US Navy Sailors Missing after Tanker Sinks
The United Arab Emirates-flagged tanker Samra sank in the northern Persian Gulf. Two US navy sailors who had boarded the tanker thought to be smuggling Iraqi oil are missing. Six other Americans were rescued. The entire 14-person crew of the tanker was believed to be Iraqi. The body of one crew member was recovered and three others are missing. The U.S. Navy said the tanker was carrying an estimated 1,900
tons of Iraqi oil in violation of United Nations sanctions against Iraq. It was not clear whether the sunken Samra was leaking oil.
November 16, 2001 Refrigerator Fails, Leading to a Series of Explosions
A malfunctioning refrigerator triggered a series of chemical explosions when chemicals stored in the hallway refrigerator overheated. After the initial explosion, the company's sprinkler system turned on, and water mixed with the chemicals to create hydrochloric acid, causing another explosion. No injuries occurred, but 17 people had to be decontaminated.
The Dayton, Ohio company makes specialty chemicals and polymers for the aerospace, electronics and pharmaceutical industries.
November 15, 2001 Chinese Mine Explosion Kills 33
Thirty three people were killed in a gas explosion in a Jiaocheng County coal mine. Twelve miners were rescued and police have arrested four and are investigating several others in connection with the blast. Investigators determined that poor ventilation was the cause of the gas explosion and early reports indicated the ventilation problem might have stemmed from a new shaft being built too close to an old one.
November 15, 2001 Chlorine Leak Sends Children to Hospital
At least 32 children and some adults were sent to hospital after a chlorine leak from a West Virginia treatment water system. About 100 pounds of chlorine gas leaked when its cylindrical container fell over and a copper hose line broke. The water system is about 300 yards from a local elementary
school and 125 feet from a school bus stop.
Source: CSB CIRC
November 14, 2001 UK Gas Explosion Injures 6
Six people were injured, one critically, in a gas explosion at a block of Manchester
apartments. The explosion occurred less than an hour after residents were allowed to return home following an earlier gas scare. The building is not connected to the gas supply and it is believed that the gas came from outside of the building and seeped in.
November 13, 2001 Swedish Nuclear Plant Shut Down after Leak
A Swedish Nuclear Reactor was shut down after a uranium leak. A spokesman at the Oskarshamn plant, said the leak was minor and the public was not at risk. The plant shut down another of its three reactors for nine days in August for a similar problem.
November 8, 2001 Welsh Steel Plant Accident Claims Third Victim
A major molten steel leak and fire from a Welsh steel plant has now claimed its third fatality, to go along with at least 12 injuries. The workers were injured in a ``hot-metal breakout,'' which the company also described as ``a serious escape of molten iron'' at the No. 5 blast furnace. Employees claimed that there were widespread concerns among workers about the condition of the lining of furnace number five. But the company said the furnace was in good repair, routinely maintained and was not due to be re-lined until 2005. The accident happened after the furnace was being brought up to temperature. Plant officials said the accident at the plant, a so-called "breakout" in which molten metal spilled from its containers and then showered on workers, was unprecedented in the industry worldwide.
Source: CSB CIRC
November 7, 2001 Barge Accident Spills Gasoline into Ohio River
Officials on Friday continued to clean up nearly 85,000 gallons of gasoline that leaked into the river after the barge was punctured when it struck a metal barrier, the Coast Guard said. The lock chambers were closed to confine the spill, shutting down the shipping lane, a busy thoroughfare for barges. The barge was transporting 1.5 million gallons of gasoline to the Paducah area. The leaking tanks held 315,000 gallons, officials said. Workers were able to plug the leak Thursday afternoon, and the remaining gasoline was moved to another vessel.
Source: CSB CIRC
November 6, 2001 Metal Fire and Calgary Factory Leads to Evacuations
A chemical fire ripped through a truck-parts factory in the southeast part of the Calgary, forcing hundreds to evacuate. A drum containing about 1,500
liters of trichloroethylene never leaked, according to investigators. Arson squad detectives pinpointed the source of the fire to a chemical reaction in a drum of magnesium. Residents of 275 homes and workers at 71 businesses were also ordered out of the area. The plant used potentially deadly trichloroethylene in its manufacturing process. The fire department was also concerned about xylene, magnesium and acetylene that might have burned at the site.
Source: CSB CIRC
November 1, 2001 Wisconsin Plastics Plant Leak Sickens 30
Toxic chemicals vented from the relief valve mixing tank at a Wisconsin plastics company. The chemicals were vented outside, where some flowed into a storm sewer that leads to Lake Michigan and some pooled on the ground and on the company's roof. The chemicals included 20,000 pounds of phenol, 21,000 pounds of formaldehyde, 17 pounds of sodium hydrochloride and 1,200 pounds of barium octohydrate. Thirty people were treated at the scene or at the local hospital.
Source: CSB CIRC
November 1, 2001 Cyanide Spill Contaminates Chinese River
A truck carrying 11 tons of liquid sodium cyanide to a gold mine overturned Thursday on a rutted road along a tributary of the Luohe River, Henan province, about 500 miles southwest of Beijing. The official China Daily newspaper said livestock animals were killed by the contamination but gave no details.
Hundreds of police and soldiers poured tons of bleach and calx, similar to lime, into the river to soak up the spill, said a local environmental protection official.
Six people are reported to have been arrested in connection with the accident, including the
truck driver and a representative from the gold mine Source: CSB CIRC
October 28, 2001 Rebels attack Tanker Near Sri Lanka
A Tamil Tiger suicide boat packed with explosives struck an oil tanker, the MV Silk Pride, off the northern tip of Sri Lanka, setting the ship on fire. Officials said navy patrols rescued 12 crew members and 13 security personnel aboard the burning ship. Three people are missing. At least five rebel boats took part in the attack and one of them rammed the tanker, which was carrying more than 650 tonnes of diesel and kerosene oil to
Jaffna.
October 23, 2001 Ohio Plating Gas Release Sickens 20
A chemical accident at a Dayton-area plating plant created a toxic gas inside the plant and sent 20 workers to hospitals yesterday. One was listed in critical condition, three workers were in fair condition and one in good condition. Others were treated and released. An employee apparently inadvertently mixed hydrochloric acid with a nickel stripper, which consisted of sodium cyanide, causing a chemical reaction that produced a hydrogen-cyanide vapor cloud. Hydrogen-cyanide is a colorless gas with a bitter, almondlike odor. It is used in electroplating, metallurgy and the production of chemicals and plastics.
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.
AcuSafe is a presentation of
AcuTech Consulting, ©2002, All Rights Reserved | 
