On July 31, 2024, toxic anhydrous ammonia was accidentally released at a food processing facility in Sterling, Virginia. The emergency pressure relief valve discharged approximately 275 pounds (125 Kg) of toxic anhydrous…

In June 2024, a contractor employee was exposed to a small quantity of hydrogen fluoride (HF), a toxic and highly corrosive fluid. The contractor was hospitalized but recovered. The site was in…

Alkylation is a chemical reaction where an alkyl group is transferred to a molecule. A plant catalytic alkylation reactor produced a mixture of three compounds (ortho, meta, and para isomers). The product…

A maintenance worker starts to unbolt a valve in compressed air service. Even though the line was reportedly depressurized, some pressure blew out. No injury occurred. During rounds, an operator finds several…

Process safety incidents occur in operations of all sizes, in the petrochemical industries and many other operations that handle chemicals. One thing many process incidents have in common; they start with a…

On May 4, 2023, approximately 790 pounds (358Kg) of a hydrocarbon mixture containing hydrogen sulfide (H2S) was accidentally released at a refinery in California. Exposure to the toxic H2S gas seriously injured…

In August 2013, a refinery in India was commissioning a new cooling tower cell. As process water was introduced into the new cell for the first time, a large quantity of light…

A  release of high-pressure hydrogen occurred at a hydrogen trailer transfer/filling facility in Santa Clara, California, on June 1, 2019. A driver and trainee were filling a tube trailer from a hydrogen…

In April 2019, at a facility producing specialty chemicals, a piping section filled with liquid isobutene was closed off. As its temperature slowly increased, a cast-iron strainer burst, leaving a hand-sized hole.…

In August 2017, a major fire occurred at a refinery in the Netherlands when a furnace tube ruptured. The furnace was overheated when the process flow through it stopped, but the burners…