Table 18.14.
Some Notable Accidents in the Chemical Industry
| Accident | Year | Fatalities | Reaction |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Texas City Disaster: Explosion of fertilizer on board SS Grandcamp liberty ship | 1947 | 581 | NH4NO3 explosion |
| The Texas City Disaster II: Union Carbide corporation chemical plant | 1969 | 0 | Vinylacetylene explosion |
| Flixborough Disaster, England: The chemical works, owned by Nypro UK | 1974 | 28 | Cyclohexane VCE |
| Seveso disaster, Milan, Italy: A small chemical plant of ICMESA (Industrie Chimiche Meda Società Azionaria), a subsidiary of Givaudan, Hoffmann-La Roche (Roche Group), located atMeda, Italy | 1976 | 0 | 2,4,5-trichlorophenol to TCDD |
| Bhopal Disaster: Union Carbide India pesticide plant, Bhopal, India | 1984 | ~ 2500 | Methylisocyanate hydrolysis |
| Norco, Louisiana, Oil Refinery Explosion: Shell plant explosion is Diamond, Louisiana | 1988 | 7 | Hydrocarbon vapor |
| Phillips polyethylene, Pasadena, Texas: The Houston Chemical Complex (HCC) facility, Phillips | 1989 | 23 | Ethylene, isobutene VCE |
| Texas City Refinery Explosion: BP's Texas City Refinery | 2005 | 15 | Pentanes, hexanes |
| Georgia Sugar Refinery Explosion: Imperial Sugar, Port Wentworth, Georgia | 2008 | 14 | Dust explosion |
| West Fertilizer Company Explosion, Texas | 2013 | 15 | NH4NO3 explosion |
| Mexico Explosion: the Petroquimica Mexicana de Vinilo SA de CV plant in Coatzacoalcos, Veracruz, Mexico | 2016 | 32 | Ethylene, vinyl chloride |