Historical hazardous chemicals accidents that occurred in January

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Source: China Chemical Safety Association. Added on: 2016-12-28 10:24:31. Views: 142. Domestic accidents: The asphyxiation accident at Nanjing Chemical Industry Company in Jiangsu on January 1. On January 1, 1980, an asphyxiation accident occurred in the hydrogen and argon extraction section of Workshop 1 of the nitrogen fertilizer plant at Nanjing Chemical Industry Company in Jiangsu Province, resulting in the death of 3 people due to asphyxiation. The direct cause of the accident was a leak at the top of the methane column inside the insulated box; gases such as nitrogen and argon entered the insulated box and were absorbed by the perlite, filling its pores. After the system was shut down and heated for purging, along with the movement of the perlite during the removal of it, the nitrogen and argon gases adsorbed on the surface and in the gaps of the perlite were released, resulting in a lack of oxygen inside the box. Before entering the insulated box to carry out the task of removing pearlescent sand, the workers did not obtain a permit for working in a confined space, nor did they analyze the gas composition inside the box; they entered it blindly, which led to the accident. The \"1•1\" Propane Leak and Explosion Incident at Plant 7 of Dalian Petrochemical Company, Liaoning Province: On January 1, 1984, an explosion occurred in the gas separation unit of the catalytic workshop at Plant 7 of Dalian Petrochemical Company in Liaoning Province. This incident resulted in 5 deaths and 80 injuries (18 of them severe and 62 mild), with direct economic losses amounting to 2.52 million yuan. The direct cause of the accident was the rupture of a welded joint in the pipeline connecting the depropanizer in the gas separation unit to its bottom reboiler, resulting in a massive leak of propane. The gas spread rapidly and ignited upon coming into contact with an open flame from a heater, causing an explosion. The \"1•1\" explosion accident at the acetonitrile production facility of Shandong Dezhou Heli Kerun Chemical Co., Ltd. On January 1, 2009, an explosion occurred at the acetonitrile facility of Shandong Dezhou Heli Kerun Chemical Co., Ltd., resulting in 5 deaths and 9 injuries. The two fixed-bed reactors that exploded were second-hand equipment that had not been properly cleaned; the carbon deposits and oil residues in their shell sides caused the molten salt to decompose more rapidly at high temperatures, leading to the explosion. The main components of molten salt are potassium nitrate, sodium nitrate, and sodium nitrite. Among them, potassium nitrate and sodium nitrate are strong oxidizing agents, while sodium nitrite is a reducing agent. The \"1•1\" naphtha leakage and poisoning accident at Binyang Fuel Chemical Co., Ltd. in Shandong On January 1, 2014, a naphtha leak occurred during tank transfer operations in the intermediate raw material tank area of Binyang Fuel Chemical Co., Ltd. in Shandong, resulting in a hydrogen sulfide poisoning incident that caused 4 deaths and 3 injuries, with direct economic losses amounting to 5.36 million yuan. At the time of the incident, the pipeline system was in an open state. While performing the tank cutting operation, the operator mistakenly opened the valve on the oil drainage line of that tank, allowing high-sulfur naphtha to flow into the drainage line through it; as a result, the naphtha leaked from the flange where the drainage line was disconnected. Hydrogen sulfide evaporated from the leaked naphtha, causing hydrogen sulfide poisoning among the on-site operators and those who handled the situation later in the workshop. The \"1•3\" explosion at the Second Fertilizer Factory in Dengzhou City, Henan Province On January 3, 1990, an explosion occurred at the Second Fertilizer Factory in Dengzhou City, Henan Province, while maintenance work was being carried out on a gas scrubbing tower; this incident resulted in 3 deaths. The direct cause of the accident was that during maintenance, the replacement of gas inside the gas scrubber was not carried out thoroughly. Welding was performed without taking gas samples from the tower for analysis and without obtaining a hot work permit, resulting in an explosion. “January 3” explosion accident at the urea plant of Gansu Liujiaxia Chemical General Factory On January 3, 1994, an explosion occurred at the urea plant of Gansu Liujiaxia Chemical General Factory, involving one inert gas scrubber, two liquid ammonia condensers, and one liquid ammonia buffer tank. The incident resulted in three people suffering serious injuries and 14 others sustaining minor injuries. The direct economic loss amounted to 4.978 million yuan. The direct cause of the accident was that due to the low temperatures in winter, the ammonia recovery rate was high, resulting in an increased proportion of hydrogen and oxygen in the uncondensed gas, which reached an explosive level. Static electricity generated by the friction between the gas and the valve body triggered a violent explosion. The “1•4” high-pressure pipe explosion accident at the Fertilizer Factory in Junxian County, Henan Province: On January 4, 1996, a high-pressure pipeline at the outlet of the waste heat boiler at the Fertilizer Factory in Junxian County, Henan Province, exploded; the high-pressure synthesis gas returning from the heat exchanger caught fire, resulting in 3 deaths. The direct cause of the accident was that the high-pressure pipe used at the outlet of the waste heat boiler was made of non-alloy steel; over time, severe hydrogen corrosion occurred on the inner wall of this pipe, resulting in a decrease in its mechanical properties and impact toughness, until it finally burst. The “1•4” reactor explosion at Xiangyang Chemical Factory in Jiaxing, Zhejiang On January 4, 2012, a reactor in the dichloroethane production area of Xiangyang Chemical Factory in Jiaxing City, Zhejiang Province, exploded, triggering a fire that resulted in 3 deaths and 4 injuries, with direct economic losses amounting to about 1.2 million yuan. The direct cause of the accident was the reaction between hydrogen peroxide and diisopropylamine during the production process; this is a highly exothermic reaction that must take place with an excess of diisopropylamine and under cooling conditions. Hydrogen peroxide is a strong oxidizing agent, and the explosion occurred due to the addition of an excessive amount. The \"1•6\" gas poisoning accident at the Fertilizer Factory in Junxian County, Henan Province: On January 6, 1984, gas leaked into the water supply pipes in the women’s bathhouse of the Fertilizer Factory in Junxian County, Henan Province, resulting in 3 deaths and 3 injuries. The direct cause of the accident was the failure to separate water for production from water for domestic use. At the time of the incident, the women’s bathhouse lost power suddenly, which caused the water supply pipes to lose pressure; gas then flowed into those pipes. When power was restored, water pushed the gas out of the pipes into the bathhouse, resulting in 6 people who were taking baths being poisoned, 3 of whom died despite attempts to save them. On January 6, 1998, an explosion occurred at a facility of Shaanxi Xinghua Group Company. The incident resulted in 22 deaths, 58 injuries, and direct economic losses amounting to 70 million yuan. The direct cause of the accident was an imbalance in the ammonia supply system; oil- and chloride-containing liquid accumulated in the ammonia system was carried into the **production system** by the gaseous ammonia. In **solvents with high oil and chloride content**, when the granulation system is shut down and the temperature rises, autocatalytic decomposition occurs and releases heat. In a very short period of time, the excessive heat generated by this decomposition along with large amounts of high-temperature gas products accumulate, leading to a combustion explosion. The \"1•6\" gas poisoning accident at Xinjiang Dahuangshan Hongji Coking Co., Ltd. On January 6, 2011, during the trial production phase, a gas poisoning incident occurred in the decarburization pump room of the synthesis workshop at Xinjiang Dahuangshan Hongji Coking Co., Ltd., resulting in 3 deaths and 1 person suffering minor injuries. Internal leakage in the condensate valve feeding the saturated tower caused coke oven gas to flow back into the decarburization pump room, which was the direct cause of this accident. A single gate valve is used to connect the condensate pipeline to the inlet of the saturated tower, which represents a design flaw ； The pipelines in the decarbonization pump room are connected to devices that contain gas, and there are no detectors for toxic or harmful gases installed in the room; moreover, the drain pipes are not located outside, which were indirect causes of the accident. The “1•7” tank explosion at Shanxi Jinan Science and Trade Co., Ltd. On January 7, 2008, an explosion occurred at Shanxi Jinan Science and Trade Co., Ltd. while dismantling old storage tanks used for chemical materials (which previously held toluene and other substances), resulting in 4 deaths and 4 injuries. The direct cause of the accident was that the storage tank was located indoors with poor ventilation, which led to the accumulation of flammable and explosive gases emitted by the tank inside the building. When demolishing the abandoned storage tank, no hot work analysis was conducted at the work site, and no hot work permit was obtained; hot work was carried out recklessly, which caused an explosion of the flammable and explosive gases accumulated in the factory building. Explosion at the tank farm of PetroChina Lanzhou Petrochemical on January 7: On January 7, 2010, a fire and explosion occurred at Tank Farm No. 316 of Lanzhou Petrochemical Company, resulting in 6 deaths, 1 person seriously injured, and 5 people slightly injured. The direct cause of the accident was a defect in the weld of the elbow at the discharge port of the C4 sphere tank in Tank Area 316#, which led to localized brittle cracking of the elbow. This caused the flammable and explosive C4 material to leak and spread, and it was ignited by the open flame in the incinerator, resulting in an explosion. Regular inspections of the faulty pipelines were not carried out as required; the replacement plan for these pipelines was not implemented as stipulated. Additionally, automatic interlock shut-off devices were not installed on the pipelines transporting materials to and from the storage tanks as mandated. As a result, it was impossible to promptly cut off the source of leakage during an accident, leading to the expansion of the leak and ultimately causing an accident. The \"1•9\" dryer explosion incident at the Research Institute of Jiaozuo Chemical Plant in Henan Province: On January 9, 1997, a physical explosion occurred in a dryer while zirconium silicate was being dried at the Research Institute of Jiaozuo Chemical Plant in Henan Province, resulting in 4 deaths and 3 injuries. The direct cause of the accident was a design flaw in the dryer; safety devices such as pressure relief valves, pressure gauges, and safety valves were not installed on the steam pipes. As a result, when steam entered the dryer, the pressure exceeded what the dryer could handle, leading to a physical explosion. There was severe job swapping at the scene of the accident; 5 people there were in positions they weren’t supposed to be in, which led to an increase in casualties. “1·9” poisoning incident at Anhui Kangda Chemical Co., Ltd. On January 9, 2014, within the premises leased by Anhui Kangda Chemical Co., Ltd., an employee suffered a poisoning incident while performing pipeline maintenance. The incident resulted in 4 deaths and 2 people sustaining minor injuries. The direct cause of the accident was that the workers entered the pump operation well in violation of regulations to carry out maintenance on the sodium methanethiol pipes there; they inhaled toxic sulfur-containing gases (such as hydrogen sulfide and methanethiol), which caused poisoning. Subsequently, the accident was exacerbated due to improper rescue efforts at the scene. The \"1·9\" Hydrogen Fluoride Leak and Poisoning Incident at Weifang Changxing Chemical Co., Ltd. On January 9, 2016, a hydrogen fluoride leak occurred in the p-toluidine dihydroxymethane production workshop of Weifang Changxing Chemical Co., Ltd., resulting in 3 deaths and 1 injury. During the production of tetrafluorophenylenedimethanol, hydrogen fluoride vapor is generated. Due to employees altering the production process in violation of regulations and the poor sealing of the feeding lid on the reaction vessel, hydrogen fluoride leaked and spread, causing poisoning among the workers at the site and in adjacent workshops. The “1•12” reactor explosion at Hubei Shalonda Co., Ltd. On January 12, 1995, an explosion occurred in a trichlorothionphos reactor in the phosphorus chemicals workshop of Company No. 1 for pesticides at Shalonda Company in Hubei Province, resulting in 3 deaths and 1 injury. The direct cause of the accident was the excessive amount of phosphorus trichloride added to the reactor, which failed to react fully with sulfur, resulting in accumulation. After the material in the reactor began to boil, the reaction of the accumulated phosphorus trichloride intensified gradually, breaking away the explosion-proof membrane; the high-pressure gas inside the reactor then broke the cast-iron clamps holding the bolts on the flange of the enamel-lined reactor lid, resulting in an explosion. The “1·13” explosion of a sulfonation tank at the Dye and Chemical Plant in Cangzhou City, Hebei Province On January 13, 1989, a sulfonation tank in the sodium m-aminobenzenesulfonate production workshop of the Dye and Chemical Plant in Cangzhou City, Hebei Province, exploded, resulting in 3 deaths and 7 injuries (4 of whom sustained serious injuries). The direct cause of the accident was the leakage of *** into the sulfonation tank through a leaking valve; during the insulation period after sulfonation, excess sulfur trioxide remained in the sulfonic acid, leading to a chemical explosion. The “1•13” explosion incident in the reflux tower of the copper washing section at Shaanxi Fertilizer Factory: On January 13, 1995, an explosion occurred in the reflux tower of the copper washing section at Shaanxi Fertilizer Factory during maintenance work, resulting in 4 deaths and 4 injuries. The direct cause of the accident was the presence of flammable and explosive gases (such as hydrogen) in the regeneration system of the reflux tower; the explosion occurred due to inadequate cleaning and purging, as well as the use of tools that did not meet safety requirements during the purging and leak-testing processes. The “1•13” reactor explosion at Kangda Pharmaceutical and Chemical Company in Kunshan, Jiangsu On January 13, 2007, an explosion occurred in a melting reactor in the nitrate production workshop of Kangda Pharmaceutical and Chemical Co., Ltd. in Kunshan, Jiangsu, resulting in 7 deaths. The direct cause of the accident was that, while operating the nitrate melting reactor, the operator increased the steam supply valve in order to speed up the melting process, which led to a rapid rise in temperature and resulted in the explosion of the reactor. The “1•13” sulfur warehouse explosion at the Sanhuan branch of Yunnan Yuntianhua Company: On January 13, 2008, an explosion occurred in the sulfur warehouse of the Sanhuan branch of Yunnan Yuntianhua International Chemical Co., Ltd., resulting in 7 deaths and 32 injuries. At the time of the incident, workers were unloading sulfur from the train. Due to the dry weather and low air humidity, the sulfur dust generated during unloading dispersed, causing certain areas to reach their explosive limit. The ignition energy present at the scene triggered an explosion of the sulfur dust. The \"1•14\" carbon monoxide poisoning accident at the Wuhan Carbon Black Factory in Hubei Province On January 14, 1989, an accident involving carbon monoxide poisoning occurred in Workshop 3 of the Wuhan Carbon Black Factory in Hubei Province while maintenance work was being carried out on a granulator; as a result, 3 people died and 9 were injured. The direct cause of the accident was a CO concentration as high as 10,000 mg/m3 inside the horizontal tubular granulator. When workers entered the granulator to carry out maintenance work, natural ventilation was insufficient for 2 hours; the toxic and harmful gases in that confined space were not removed, no permit was obtained, and the workers did not wear any safety protective equipment. The “1•14” explosion at the Kaifeng Fertilizer Plant in Henan Province: On January 14, 1992, the glass level gauge in the copper-ammonia tower of the ammonia synthesis branch of the Kaifeng Fertilizer Plant broke, resulting in the release of high-pressure gas and an explosion. This incident caused 4 deaths and 1 serious injury. Excessive bubbles in the glass plate of the level gauge, as well as poor quality, are the main causes of accidents. The original level gauge glass plate developed cracks just two days after it was put into use, with liquid seeping through; it broke on the day it was replaced. Originally, the area between the valves on the piping of the level gauge for the copper-ammonia tower at the site of the incident was designed as a closed structure; the inability of the leaked flammable gas to disperse effectively, thereby quickly reaching its explosive limit, is also a major contributing factor. The \"1•15\" fire accident at Zhejiang Wuyi Boyang Industrial Co., Ltd. On January 15, 2008, a fire broke out at Zhejiang Wuyi Boyang Industrial Co., Ltd., resulting in 4 deaths. The direct cause of the accident was the company’s unauthorized change in the production process, where water was replaced with white oil for cooling and cleaning purposes. The vacuum pump located near the waste residue tank was not explosion-proof; when the operators turned off the vacuum pump, sparks were generated, which ignited the light components in the waste residue tank as well as the white oil, resulting in a fire. The “1•18” explosion at Inner Mongolia Wuhai Chemical Co., Ltd. On January 18, 2011, an explosion occurred at Inner Mongolia Wuhai Chemical Co., Ltd. while efforts were being made to fix a leak at the connection between the exhaust pipe and the exhaust collection pipe of the intermediate tank containing high-purity hydrochloric acid in the synthesis section; this explosion resulted in the death of 3 workers. The direct cause of the accident was that a small amount of dissolved and entrained hydrogen gas during the acid production process entered the intermediate tank for high-purity hydrochloric acid along with the acid. Due to the decrease in pressure within the intermediate tank, the dissolved and entrained hydrogen gas gradually separated from the liquid hydrochloric acid. A crack occurred at the connection between the drain pipe and the drain manifold, resulting in a hydrogen leak. The mechanic generated sparks while using a angle grinder during the work, which ignited the hydrogen gas; since the gas spaces of the various hydrochloric acid storage tanks were connected to each other, three of these tanks exploded. The “1•18” explosion incident at Jilin Tonghua Chemical Co., Ltd. On January 18, 2014, an explosion occurred in the water supply pump room of the methanol synthesis system at Jilin Tonghua Chemical Co., Ltd., resulting in 3 deaths and 5 injuries, with direct economic losses amounting to 2.55 million yuan. The direct cause of the accident was that, after the drainage was completed, the operator on duty failed to fully close the purified alcohol transfer valve; additionally, the valve on the reflux pipe was opened too wide. This resulted in the dilute alcohol level within the purified alcohol tower operating at a low level. The incoming operator also failed to notice that the level of diluted alcohol at the bottom of the pure alcohol tower was below the set limit; this caused high-pressure process gas to flow back into the diluted alcohol tank, resulting in the rupture of the return pipeline. As a result, a large amount of flammable mixture (primarily H2) filled the water supply pump room rapidly, reaching the explosive limit. An explosion occurred when this mixture was ignited by static electricity. The \"1•19\" ammonia poisoning accident at Cixi Fertilizer Factory in Zhejiang Province: On January 19, 1982, an ammonia poisoning incident occurred at the refrigeration unit of Cixi Fertilizer Factory in Zhejiang Province, resulting in 3 deaths. The direct cause of the accident was that the material used for the pipe joint did not meet the design requirements, with cast iron parts being used in place of steel parts. The pipe was originally designed to be 1.9 meters above the ground, but due to poor separation effects, it was modified twice; as a result, it is now 260 millimeters above the ground and is supported by bricks. A female worker stepped on the production pipeline while playing, causing the ammonia pipe to break and resulting in a leak. Explosion at the heavy oil catalytic unit of PetroChina Fushun Petrochemical on January 19: On January 19, 2011, a flash explosion occurred in the stabilization unit of the heavy oil catalytic unit at the Second Petroleum Plant of PetroChina Fushun Petrochemical Branch, resulting in 3 deaths and 4 people sustaining minor injuries. The direct cause of the accident was that the low-point drain valve on the inlet pipeline at the lower part of the shell side of the reboiler in the stabilization unit of the heavy oil catalytic unit lost its fixation due to the cracking of the weld at the gland of the valve stem nut; as a result, the valve failed, causing deethanized gasoline to leak and vaporize. This vapor formed an explosive mixture with air, and an explosion occurred as a result of static electricity generated by the spraying. The leakage and explosion incident at the Fujia gas transmission station in Renshou, Sichuan on January 20, 2006: On January 20, 2006, the outlet pipeline and inlet pipeline at the Fujia gas transmission station in Renshou County, Sichuan Province, exploded one after another, resulting in 9 deaths and 4 serious injuries. The direct cause of the accident was welding defects in the spiral welds of the gas pipeline material, which led to cracks and a massive leakage of natural gas. The leaked natural gas, carrying ferrous sulfide powder, sprayed out from the cracks; upon contact with air it oxidized and caught fire, causing an explosion outside the gas pipe. The intense burning that followed this external explosion led to two more severe explosions inside the pipe. The \"1•26\" poisoning accident in the acid production workshop of Zijin Copper Industry in Longyan, Fujian On January 26, 2012, a poisoning accident occurred in the desulfurization tower area of the acid production workshop at Zijin Copper Industry in the Jiaoyang Industrial Zone, Shanghang County, Longyan City, Fujian Province, resulting in 3 deaths and 1 injury. At the time of the incident, the ash tank became clogged; a worker on duty fainted while attempting to clean the ash, and the other three workers, who were not wearing protective gear, tried to provide assistance and were subsequently poisoned. The cause of the incident is believed to be carbon monoxide poisoning or hypoxic asphyxia. The \"1•27\" oil pipeline leakage and explosion accident at the Guigang branch of Guangxi Petroleum Company: On January 27, 2000, a gasoline pipeline leak at the Guigang branch of Guangxi Petroleum Company led to a fire and explosion, resulting in 8 deaths and 17 injuries. The direct cause of the accident was a crack in the weld of the oil pipeline, which allowed gasoline to leak out and enter the sewer system. Curious workers then used lighters to ignite the gasoline, resulting in a fire and explosion. Foreign accidents: The “1•21” explosion at the Tosco Evan Refinery in the United States. On January 21, 1997, an explosion and fire broke out in the hydrocracking unit of the Tosco Evan Refinery located in California, USA. The incident resulted in 1 death and 46 injured workers, 13 of whom were seriously injured. The direct cause of the accident was the rupture of the outlet pipe on the hydrocracking reactor; light gases leaked from the pipe, caught fire upon contact with air, resulting in an explosion and fire.