Category: Accidents

Accident Description
On April 23, 2004, five workers were fatally injured and two others were seriously injured when an explosion occurred in a polyvinyl chloride (PVC) production unit at Formosa Plastics in Illiopolis, Illinois, east of Springfield. The explosion followed a release of highly flammable vinyl chloride, which ignited. The explosion forced a community evacuation and lighted fires that burned for several days at the plant.

Investigation Status
The CSB’s final report on this investigation was issued at a news conference in Springfield, Illinois, on March 6, 2007.         

Accident Description
Two municipal workers died and another was seriously injured while attempting to remove a steel canopy above a methanol storage tank at the Bethune Point wastewater plant operated by the City of Daytona Beach. The workers were using a cutting torch that likely ignited methanol vapors from the tank and caused an explosion. The explosion led to the release of the total contents of the tank, approximately 3,000 gallons of methanol.

Investigation Status
The CSB’s final report, which recommended new workplace safety standards for Florida’s public employees, was issued at a news conference in Tallahassee on March 13, 2007.         

Accident Description
At approximately 1:20 p.m. on March 23, 2005, a series of explosions occurred at the BP Texas City refinery during the restarting of a hydrocarbon isomerization unit. Fifteen workers were killed and 180 others were injured. Many of the victims were in or around work trailers located near an atmospheric vent stack. The explosions occurred when a distillation tower flooded with hydrocarbons and was overpressurized, causing a geyser-like release from the vent stack.

Investigation Status
The Board approved its final report by a vote of 5-0 at a public meeting in Texas City on March 20, 2007.         

Accident Description
Three contractors died and one contractor suffered serious injuries in an explosion and fire at the Partridge-Raleigh Oilfield. The contractors, all employees of Stringer Oilfield Services, were standing on top of a series of four oil production tanks. They were preparing to weld piping to the tanks when a welding tool likely ignited flammable vapors from the tanks.

Investigation Status
The CSB’s final report was issued at a news conference in Jackson, Mississippi, on June 12, 2007.         

Accident Description
One worker was fatally burned and about a dozen others were injured when a powerful explosion devastated the Synthron Inc. chemical manufacturing facility. CSB investigators believe the explosion was related to the process inside a 1500-gallon batch reactor at the plant, which contained butyl acrylate along with the flammable solvents toluene and cyclohexane.

Investigation Status
The CSB’s final report was issued at a news conference in Charlotte, North Carolina on July 31, 2007