The safety disaster case file for today is about a blast that has dealt one of the largest damages to any community in the 12-year history of the US Chemical Safety Board (CSB), which investigated it. On November 22, 2006 at 2:45 AM, an explosion occurred at the CAI, Inc. and Arnel Co. Inc. ink- and paint-manufacturing plant in Danvers, Massachusetts. The blast was so strong that it leveled not just the 12,000 sq. m. compound where the plant stood, but also completely destroyed 24 houses located just a few hundred feet away from the plant. A fire also raged afterwards, which was only put out 17 hours after the explosion.

Today’s safety disaster anecdote is about a fire that instead of being put out was allowed to burn itself out. This is about the Environmental Quality (EQ) Hazardous Waste Plant explosion and fire which took place on October 5, 2006 in Apex, North Carolina. While there were no fatalities in this industrial accident, around 17,000 people living in the surrounding areas were forced to evacuate because of the chemical smoke. Around 30 people also sought medical attention because of nausea and respiratory distress.

Today’s Safety Disaster File is about one of the largest and most powerful explosions ever investigated by the US Chemical Safety Board (CSB). As strong as the force of 1,200 lbs of TNT, the explosion at the T2 Laboratories claimed the lives of four people and injured 32 others.

Today’s facility safety lesson revolves around the Xcel Energy Hydroelectric Plant Fire, which occurred in Cabin Creek, Georgetown, Colorado. On October 2, 2007, five workers perished while three were injured when a fire broke out in an enclosed penstock.