Updates on Chemical Accidents at Home and Abroad (2016-12-09)

Thread Content

The following information was compiled by the **Chemical Registration Center of the State Administration of Work Safety/ Qingdao Safety Engineering Research Institute of Sinopec. International Accident Alerts: Accident Alert 1. Chlorine leak at Dow Chemical’s Plaquemine petrochemical plant in Louisiana, USA. On December 2, a chlorine leak occurred at the chlor-alkali facility at Dow Chemical’s Plaquemine petrochemical plant in Louisiana, USA, resulting in 19 people being poisoned. 2. Crude oil spill from pipeline in western North Dakota, USA: On December 5, the Belle Fourche Pipeline Company experienced a crude oil spill from a pipeline in Billings County, western North Dakota, which polluted a local stream. 3. Explosion at natural gas processing facility in Sublette County, Wyoming, USA On December 5, an explosion occurred at a natural gas processing facility belonging to Lower Valley Energy Company in the oil and gas field, located about 25 miles south of Pinedale town in Sublette County, Wyoming, USA. The incident did not result in any casualties. 4. The drilling fluid leak at the Thunder Horse oil and gas field operated by BP in the Gulf of Mexico: On December 6, approximately 28 cubic meters of drilling fluid leaked into the sea from the production platform at the Thunder Horse oil and gas field, which is owned 75% by BP and located at a depth of about 1,844 meters in the Gulf of Mexico, thereby contaminating the marine environment. 5. Gas leak at Kleenheat Gas Company’s refinery facility in western Australia On December 6, a gas leak occurred at the refinery facility of Australian company Kleenheat Gas Company, located on the beach in the town of Kwinana in the west; no injuries were reported as a result of this incident. 6. Gas explosion at a business in the Warren community, Rhode Island, USA: On December 7, a gas leak and accumulation inside one of the drying ovens at the Water Rower company in the Warren community of Rhode Island, USA, led to an explosion; the incident resulted in 2 people being injured. Domestic Accident Alerts: Accident Alert 1. Fire incident involving isopropanol at a factory in Bao’an District, Shenzhen, Guangdong. At 16:00 on December 3, workers at a factory located in the Tongfuyu Industrial Zone on Xihuan Road, Shajing Sub-district, Bao’an District, Shenzhen, Guangdong, were filling isopropanol when improper handling generated static electricity that ignited the isopropanol in the tanks; no injuries were reported as a result of this accident. 2. A fire broke out in a diesel tank truck on the Yu’an Expressway in Guizhou Province. At 16:19 on December 5, a diesel tank truck caught fire at the 99KM+510M section of the Yu’an Expressway (the uphill lane), in the direction from Kaili Expressway South Station to Danzhai; no injuries were reported as a result of this incident. 3. Explosion of heat transfer oil pipe at Xingnong Chemical Factory in Shizuishan City, Ningxia: At 5 a.m. on December 6, an explosion and fire broke out in the heat transfer oil pipe at Xingnong Chemical Factory in Huinong District, Shizuishan City, Ningxia; no casualties were reported as a result of this incident. 4. Acrylic acid tank truck leakage accident in Huizhou, Guangdong: At 3:25 on December 8, a tank truck carrying acrylic acid collided with a truck at the exit of the Huiyan Expressway in Xinxu Town, Huiyang District, Huizhou City, Guangdong, resulting in the rupture of the tank and a leakage of acrylic acid. No injuries were reported as a result of the accident.