OSHA Fines Chemical Firm $514K After Explosion and Fire

Chemical manufacturer TPC Group is facing fines of $514,692 after the US Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) cited the company for safety and health hazards following an explosion and fire in late 2019 at its Port Neches, TX plant. 

The agency said it opened an investigation into the plant after the November 2019 incident. A butadiene finishing tower caught on fire and exploded after vapor formed at the tower’s base. TPC Group was cited by OSHA for three willful violations for failing to develop and implement emergency shutdown procedures and failing to inspect and test process vessel and piping components.

“Employers are required to conduct regular inspections and address potential hazardous conditions associated with chemical processes to prevent catastrophic events from occurring,” Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health Loren Sweatt said in an agency release 

Some 50,000 people near the plant were evacuated during the fire and officials said the blast caused extensive damage across the community, Powder & Bulk Solids reported. Two TPC Group employees and a contractor were injured.  

Toby Baker, the executive director of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) issued a statement after the Port Neches fire calling out the chemical industry for repeated safety incidents during the course of 2019. 

"Within the last year, I have witnessed an unacceptable trend of significant incidents impacting the Gulf Coast region. While not all emergency events may be prevented, it is imperative that industry be accountable and held to the highest standard of compliance to ensure the safety of the state's citizens and the protection of the environment," Baker said. "At this time, the TCEQ is focused on emergency response efforts, including evaluating real-time air quality data."

The company has 15 business days after receiving the citations to comply, request an informal conference with an OSHA area director, or contest the findings before an independent board. 

TPC Group produces petrochemical products – including Butadiene, Polyisobutylene, fuel products, and Isobutylene derivatives – for use in the performance, specialty, and intermediate segments. 

For more news headlines, articles, and equipment reviews, visit our Equipment Zones

More Powder & Bulk Solids articles:

BASF Starts Operations at New Plant in South Carolina'

DOD Taps 3M to Boost Output of N95 Respirators in US

Fire Ignites in Magnesium Plant in Illinois