Accident Report Detail

Accident Summary Nr: 18181586 - Employee killed when reactor vessel explodes

Accident Summary Nr: 18181586 -- Report ID: 0522500 -- Event Date: 09/10/1997
Inspection Nr	Date Opened	SIC	NAICS	Establishment Name
18181586	09/10/1997	2821	0	Georgia-Pacific Resins, Inc.

Abstract: On September 10, 1997, Employee #1, a utility operator at Georgia-Pacific Resins, Inc., was making a Novolak resin (batch type 2140) in an 8,000 gallon K-2 reactor vessel. Novolak resin is a thermoplastic phenolic resin used in foundries. Employee #1 had mischarged phenol, formaldehyde, and sulfuric acid to the K-2 reactor vessel while making the Novolak resin. The vessel also had steam on its coils. The mischarge of chemicals caused an uncontrolled phenol-formaldehyde polymerization reaction, resulting in the over-pressurization and failure of the K-2 reactor vessel. Employee #1 was killed and his coworkers in the resin department sustained injuries.

Keywords: REACTOR, WORK RULES, STEAM, EXPLOSION, CHEMICAL REACTION, HIGH PRESSURE, FORMALDEHYDE, SULFURIC ACID, PRESSURE RELEASE

Employee Details
Employee #	Inspection Nr	Age	Sex	Degree of Injury	Nature of Injury	Occupation
1	18181586			Fatality	Concussion	Occupation not reported

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