Report
Detail:
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(Washington, DC – January 16, 2004) The U.S. Chemical
Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) today announced it would not
conduct a full investigation of Sunday's chemical accident at Huntsman
Petrochemical Corporation in Port Neches, Texas. CSB investigators are
en route back to Washington after two days at the plant site.
The January
11 chemical fire burned two plant workers and caused minor injuries
to six others. Four workers, including the two second-degree burn victims,
were treated and released at local hospitals. Board investigators say
the fire occurred during an attempt to prepare a process pipe for maintenance
within a unit that produces methyl tert-butylether (MTBE), a fuel additive.
The design of the pipe included a long, shallow dip where residual feedstock
chemicals had accumulated, unknown to plant personnel. In preparation
for the planned maintenance on January 11, workers directed steam through
the pipe, inadvertently causing the residual chemicals inside to overheat
and decompose. Accumulating pressure ruptured the pipe, releasing a
flammable vapor cloud that then ignited, investigators believe.
The pipe involved in the accident was seldom used at the 10-year-old
facility. After its last use in September, the pipe was purged with
nitrogen gas, but owing to the pipe's design not all liquid chemicals
were removed. In addition to the CSB, a team from Huntsman has been
investigating the incident. "Huntsman has already instituted significant
corrective actions in response to Sunday's fire and is surveying the
rest of the plant to determine if similar conditions may exist elsewhere,"
said CSB lead investigator. "We appreciate Huntsman's excellent
cooperation with our team and look forward to reviewing the results
of their completed investigation." "This unfortunate accident
emphasizes once again the importance of designing lines and equipment
to facilitate safe plant operations," said CSB Chairman. "Critical
equipment should be designed so that workers can verify the absence
of hazardous material before undertaking maintenance."
The CSB is an independent federal agency charged with investigating
industrial chemical accidents. The agency's board members are appointed
by the president and confirmed by the Senate. CSB investigations look
into all aspects of such events, including physical causes such as equipment
failure as well as inadequacies in safety management systems. Typically,
the investigations involve extensive witness interviews, examination
of physical evidence, and chemical and forensic testing.The Board does
not issue citations or fines but does make safety recommendations to
plants, industry organizations, labor groups, and regulatory agencies
such as OSHA and EPA. |
