Federal Investigators Say Design Flaws Caused the DuPont Accident in La Porte (23,000 lbs. leak)

[TexasTowelie]

Federal investigators in Houston on Thursday shared some more details about the incident that killed four workers at DuPont's LaPorte facility back in November.

Investigators say that a design flaw in DuPont's pipes and valves screwed up the ventilation system. Liquids would routinely build up in the ventilation system and workers would have to go in and manually drain the vents, according to the Associated Press. That process of draining the vents would expose the workers to whatever chemicals were trapped inside, including methyl mercaptan, a highly toxic substance often used in insecticides

In the incident that killed four employees, the supply line had been plugged. While workers were trying to unstop the line, the following happened, as U.S. Chemical Safety Board Chairman Rafael Moure-Eraso explained in written testimony before a Senate joint committee back in December:

"On November 15, 2014, there was a release of methyl mercaptan, a highly toxic and volatile liquid, which DuPont itself has estimated at 23,000 pounds - a very significant quantity. Odors of the chemical were reportedly discernible many miles from the plant. Four workers - including operators and would-be rescuers - perished inside the methomyl-production building where the release originated."

Read more: http://blogs.houstonpress.com/news/2015/02/federal_investigators_say_design_flaws_caused_the_dupont_accident.php

Related Threads:
DuPont Chemical Plant in La Porte Where Four Workers Died Reported Recent Violations (Nov. 16, 2014)
http://www.democraticunderground.com/107822060

DuPont Says Plant Leaked 23,000 Pounds of Toxic Gas (Dec. 1, 2014)
http://www.democraticunderground.com/107822238