CSB report details how spilled chemical spill explosion killed four workers
On May 3, 2019, at a chemical manufacturing facility in Waukegan, Illinois, the operator of a tank in which a silicon hydride emulsion was being made suddenly yelled a warning. Alerted by the “unusual activity,” another operator and the Shift Supervisor – fellow employees of AB Specialty Silicones – ran over to the emulsions area. By the time they got there, the tank was overflowing with foam.
With those terse details, the factual update released yesterday by the U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB) sets the scene for the workplace tragedy which was to follow – a massive explosion that fatally injured four workers and injured another.