All process safety events start with a loss of containment (LOC). Although there are many causes for LOC, the US Chemical Safety Board (CSB) reports have identified the following initiating events for…

On February 1, 2022, a chlorine gas mixture was released at a facility in Memphis, Tennessee. Three workers required treatment for exposure to the toxic vapor. On the day of the incident,…

On October 8, 2024, a 150 lb(68 kg) anhydrous ammonia cylinder exploded, seriously injuring four workers at a facility in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The company was preparing to introduce anhydrous ammonia from…

On March 17, 2019, a large fire erupted at a bulk liquid storage terminal in Deer Park, Texas. The fire started near a 3.4 million-gallon (12,870 m3) aboveground, atmospheric storage tank containing…

On February 1, 2022, a chlorine gas mixture was released at a facility in Memphis, Tennessee. Three workers required treatment for exposure to the toxic vapor. On the day of the incident,…

A site implemented a project to install vibration monitoring on all major pieces of rotating equipment. Once the project was completed, a technician monitored the vibration data. One day, the vibration graph…

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…