Search

Chemical Leak at Texas Plant Kills Two Workers

Posted on 7/28/2021 by Roseanne Bottone

Early on the night of July 27, 2021, a Texas chemical processing plant experienced an acidic leak that killed two people and injured many others.

The event happened inside the facility in La Porte, Texas, about twenty-five miles southeast of Houston. All workers were ultimately accounted for. As of 7 PM on July 28, twenty-eight of the thirty employees sent to local hospitals had been released. Decontamination and cleanup (primarily of acetic acid) is underway.  

The facility praised their on-site incident response team, saying that a quick response stopped the leak and prevented further injuries. Air monitoring shows "no levels of concern for the community,” according to Harris County Pollution Control and an update from the facility.  

The following day, the US Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) deployed a team to the incident site. The CSB’s role is to investigate chemical facility incidents, identify root causes, and make recommendations for preventing them in the future.

The company that operates the facility provides periodic updates here.   

What Happened?

The cause of the incident is under investigation. The company hopes to learn what happened so they can take measures to prevent a similar incident in the future.

The chemicals involved in the incident were methyl iodide, hydrogen iodide, and methyl acetate, the facility says. The consequences of exposure to these substances range from skin and eye irritation to serious mental disorders, coma, and death.

The company said that about 100,000 pounds of a mixture containing acetic acid was released. Acetic acid is diluted in water to make white vinegar.

Emergency Response Takes a Team

When a hazardous substance is unexpectedly released, it takes a full team of properly trained, equipped personnel to stop the release and potentially save lives.
  • Responders at the “first responder awareness” (FRA) level must know what to do if they witness or discover a hazardous substance release. These employees may alert others, sound alarms, and evacuate.
  • First Responder Operations (FRO) personnel take defensive response actions like covering drains or closing vents, to prevent the release from spreading. 
  • Hazardous Materials Technicians, sometimes called hazmat techs or industry techs, take more “aggressive” response actions. These employees approach the point of a release to plug, patch or otherwise stop it.
  • Hazardous Materials Specialists respond with technicians to stop the release. Specialists hold extensive knowledge about the chemicals on site, and act as a liaison with local emergency responders like fire and EMS.
  • The Incident Commander oversees the entire emergency response scene.

HAZWOPER Training for Emergency Responders

Under its Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response (HAZWOPER) Standard in 29 CFR 1910.120, OSHA requires training for every level of emergency responder—from awareness level to the incident commander.

Read more: Who Really Needs HAZWOPER Training?

To see who needs HAZWOPER training, how much training OSHA requires, and how often re-training is needed, view the graphic guides linked on Lion.com/HAZWOPER
 

(Image credit: CNN.com

Tags: HAZWOPER

Find a Post

Compliance Archives

Lion - Quotes

I think LION does an excellent job of any training they do. Materials provided are very useful to my day-to-day work activities.

Pamela Embody

EHS Specialist

The instructor was very dedicated to providing a quality experience. She did her best to make sure students were really comprehending the information.

Stephanie Venn

Inventory Control Specialist

The training was impressive. I am not a fan of online training but this was put together very well. I would recommend Lion to others.

Donnie James

Quality Manager

The instructor's energy, enthusiasm, and knowledge of the subject make the class a great learning experience!

Brian Martinez

Warehouse Operator

I was able to present my scenario to the instructor and worked thru the regulations together. In the past, I attended another training firm's classes. Now, I have no intention of leaving Lion!

Diana Joyner

Senior Environmental Engineer

Excellent class, super instructor, very easy to follow. No rushing through material. Would like to take his class again.

Lawrence Patterson

EH&S Facility Maintenance & Security Manager

Excellent. I learned more in two days with Lion than at a 5-day program I took with another provider.

Francisco Gallardo

HES Technician

I chose Lion's online webinar because it is simple, effective, and easily accessible.

Jeremy Bost

Environmental Health & Safety Technician

I like the consistency of Lion workshops. The materials are well put together and instructors are top notch!

Kevin Pylka

Permitting, Compliance & Environmental Manager

As always, Lion never disappoints

Paul Resley

Environmental Coordinator

Download Our Latest Whitepaper

Hazardous materials shipment rejections bear a big cost. Use this guide to end operational and logistical disruptions that severely impact your bottom line.

Latest Whitepaper

By submitting your phone number, you agree to receive recurring marketing and training text messages. Consent to receive text messages is not required for any purchases. Text STOP at any time to cancel. Message and data rates may apply. View our Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy.