Wednesday, January 4, 2012

CSB Issues Statement on Ohio Chemical Fire


On Dec. 17, 2011, a chemical fire occurred at a Heritage-WTI Inc. hazardous waste storage and processing facility in East Liverpool, OH, resulting in two workers being seriously burned, one of whom died days later. According to the company, a flash fire occurred when workers were splitting a large solid waste drum of hazardous flammable inorganic material into smaller storage drums.

Following the tragedy, CSB issued a statement emphasizing the importance of a National Fire Code for hazardous waste handling. CSB’s investigation and subsequent case study of a 2006 fire at an Apex, NC, hazardous waste facility, as well as its investigation of a 2009 explosion at a West Carrollton, OH, facility resulted in the board issuing recommendations calling for a standard specific to hazardous waste treatment, storage and disposal facilities to provide guidance to prevent the occurrence of fires, explosions and releases at these types of facilities.

According to CSB, if followed, its recommendations will lead to the development of a national standard that will improve safety practices at hazardous waste treatment plants across the country.