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

Brian Martinez

Warehouse Operator

Excellent course. Very interactive. Explanations are great whether you get the questions wrong or right.

Gregory Thompson

Environmental, Health & Safety Regional Manager

I really enjoy your workshops. Thank you for such a great program and all the help Lion has provided me over the years!

George Chatman

Hazardous Material Pharmacy Technician

I have attended other training providers, but Lion is best. Lion is king of the hazmat jungle!!!

Henry Watkins

Hazardous Waste Technician

The workshop covered a lot of information without being too overwhelming. Lion is much better, more comprehensive than other training providers.

George Alva

Manufacturing Manager

The instructor did an excellent job presenting a very dry subject; keeping everyone interested and making it enjoyable.

Marc Bugg

Hazardous Waste Professional

Best instructor ever! I was going to take my DOT training w/a different provider, but based on this presentation, I will also be doing my DOT training w/Lion!

Donna Moot

Hazardous Waste Professional

I love that the instructor emphasized the thought process behind the regs.

Rebecca Saxena

Corporate Product Stewardship Specialist

One of the best trainings I have ever received!

Brandon Morfin

EH&S Manager

Download Our Latest Whitepaper

Use this guide as a quick reference to the most common HAZWOPER questions, and get course recommendations for managers and personnel who are in need of OSHA-required HAZWOPER training.

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.