Cause of 2016 Dow Chemical Plant Explosion ID’d by Officials

An explosion on Jan. 7. 2016 at the Dow Chemical plant in Andover, MA that left four people injured, state investigators recently announced that the blast was caused by a mechanical failure, a North Andover Citizen article published Tuesday said.

“Investigators determined that a mechanical failure allowed air to react with a volatile chemical during a reclaiming process that resulted in spontaneous ignition and the explosion,” a statement dated March 29 by Jennifer Mieth of the Massachusetts Department of Fire Services said, the Citizen’s article reported.

Leading up to the incident, the facility had encountered some problems involving pressure in the reclaiming process, the newspaper said. As workers attempted to fix a leak in the system, the chemical Trimethylaluminum was released into the air, which led to the explosion.

“Closer examination showed the metal chemical vessels and waste traps contained several welds and gaskets that were not regularly inspected as part of a safety process,” Mieth’s statement said.

A separate investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) revealed several safety violations. Three citations with fines amounting to $129,200 were issued by the agency.

In October 2013, a similar explosion occurred at the plant, which makes materials used in the production of LED lights, that killed a 51-year-old worker, the Citizen said.

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