Report reveals safety incidents at Geismar plant that left one dead, others hurt was preventable
BATON ROUGE, La. (Louisiana First) — A new federal report released by the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) revealed a series of safety failures at the Honeywell Performance Materials and Technologies facility in Geismar.
The report covered three chemical incidents from October 2021 to June 2024. These incidents involved toxic hydrogen fluoride (HF). One incident led to a fatality, while others caused multiple injuries.
Oct. 21, 2021:
A corroded gasket failed during a unit startup, spraying HF on a worker's face, neck and ear.
According to CSB, the worker lacked proper protective gear and died later that day.
Honeywell had known since 2007 that the gasket material was prone to corrosion but had not replaced all of them.
Damages were estimated at $14 million.
Jan. 23, 2023:
A reboiler exploded, releasing over 800 pounds of hydrogen fluoride and 1,600 pounds of chlorine gas.
No one was injured, but the blast caused $4 million in damage.
A shelter-in-place order was issued, and nearby highways were shut down.
Honeywell had approved a replacement plan for the equipment in 2022 but never acted on it due to internal miscommunication.
June 7, 2024:
A contract worker was seriously injured during maintenance work.
When a worker loosened a flange, residual HF trapped in the piping sprayed him in the face.
The worker was not wearing proper face or respiratory protection and suffered second-degree burns and spent two days in the hospital.
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'Not only were these three serious incidents completely unacceptable, our investigation found that they also were entirely preventable,' CSB Chairperson Steve Owens said.
The CSB found that Honeywell did not maintain its equipment often. CSB said they also failed to spot hazards and put in place safety measures.
The agency made several recommendations for Honeywell. These suggestions aim to boost safety systems and enhance oversight.
The CSB urged the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to review HF's health and environmental risks. It also called on OSHA to update safety rules for companies.
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