Inspection Detail

Inspection: 309847127 - Synthron, Inc.

Inspection Information - Office: Nc Department Of Labor - Charlotte

Inspection Nr: 309847127

Report ID: 0453730

Date Opened: 01/31/2006

Site Address:
Synthron, Inc.
305 Amherst Road
Morganton, NC 28655

Mailing Address:
420 C West Fleming Drive, Morganton, NC 28655

Union Status: NonUnion

SIC:2869

NAICS: 325998/All Other Miscellaneous Chemical Product and Preparation Manufacturing

Inspection Type: Accident

Scope: Partial

Advanced Notice: N

Ownership: Private

Safety/Health: Safety

Close Conference: 07/24/2006

Planning Guide: Safety-Manufacturing

Emphasis: N:Psmpqv

Case Closed: 04/06/2010

Related Activity
Type	Activity Nr	Safety	Health
Accident	102095908

Violation Summary
Violations/Penalties	Serious	Willful	Repeat	Other	Unclass	Total
Initial Violations	21	8		7		36
Current Violations	21	8		7		36
Initial Penalty	$29,400	$315,000	$0	$0	$0	$344,400
Current Penalty	$21,525	$168,000	$0	$0	$0	$189,525
FTA Penalty	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0

Violation Items
#	Citation ID	Citaton Type	Standard Cited	Issuance Date	Abatement Due Date	Current Penalty	Initial Penalty	FTA Penalty	Contest	Latest Event
1.	01001	Willful	19100119 C01	07/24/2006	08/01/2006	$21,000	$21,000	$0	09/07/2006	F - Formal Settlement
2.	01002	Willful	19100119 D	07/24/2006	08/01/2006	$21,000	$42,000	$0	09/07/2006	F - Formal Settlement
3.	01003	Willful	19100119 E01	07/24/2006	08/01/2006	$21,000	$42,000	$0	09/07/2006	F - Formal Settlement
4.	01004	Willful	19100119 F01	07/24/2006	08/01/2006	$21,000	$42,000	$0	09/07/2006	F - Formal Settlement
5.	01005	Willful	19100119 G01 I	07/24/2006	08/01/2006	$21,000	$42,000	$0	09/07/2006	F - Formal Settlement
6.	01006A	Willful	19100119 J02	07/24/2006	08/01/2006	$21,000	$42,000	$0	09/07/2006	F - Formal Settlement
7.	01006B	Willful	19100119 J03	07/24/2006	08/01/2006	$0	$0	$0	09/07/2006	F - Formal Settlement
8.	01007	Willful	19100119 L01	07/24/2006	08/01/2006	$21,000	$42,000	$0	09/07/2006	F - Formal Settlement
9.	01008	Willful	19100307 B	07/24/2006	08/01/2006	$21,000	$42,000	$0	09/07/2006	F - Formal Settlement
10.	02001	Serious	19100038 F01	07/24/2006	08/01/2006	$1,050	$2,100	$0	09/07/2006	F - Formal Settlement
11.	02002	Serious	19100106 H03 IIA	07/24/2006	08/01/2006	$1,050	$2,100	$0	09/07/2006	F - Formal Settlement
12.	02003	Serious	19100106 H04 IVA	07/24/2006	08/01/2006	$1,050	$2,100	$0	09/07/2006	F - Formal Settlement
13.	02004	Serious	19100106 H04 IIIA	07/24/2006	08/01/2006	$525	$1,050	$0	09/07/2006	F - Formal Settlement
14.	02005	Serious	19100120 Q01	07/24/2006	08/01/2006	$1,050	$1,050	$0	09/07/2006	F - Formal Settlement
15.	02006	Serious	19100120 Q06	07/24/2006	08/01/2006	$1,050	$1,050	$0	09/07/2006	F - Formal Settlement
16.	02007	Serious	19100120 Q09 I	07/24/2006	08/01/2006	$1,050	$1,050	$0	09/07/2006	F - Formal Settlement
17.	02008	Serious	19100134 F01	07/24/2006	08/01/2006	$1,050	$1,050	$0	09/07/2006	F - Formal Settlement
18.	02009	Serious	19100134 H03 IB	07/24/2006	08/01/2006	$1,050	$1,050	$0	09/07/2006	F - Formal Settlement
19.	02010	Serious	19100134 K03	07/24/2006	08/01/2006	$1,050	$1,050	$0	09/07/2006	F - Formal Settlement
20.	02011	Serious	19100134 M02	07/24/2006	08/01/2006	$1,050	$1,050	$0	09/07/2006	F - Formal Settlement
21.	02012A	Serious	19100146 C04	07/24/2006	08/01/2006	$1,050	$1,050	$0	09/07/2006	F - Formal Settlement
22.	02012B	Serious	19100146 G01	07/24/2006	08/01/2006	$0	$0	$0	09/07/2006	F - Formal Settlement
23.	02013A	Serious	19100147 C01	07/24/2006	08/01/2006	$1,050	$1,050	$0	09/07/2006	F - Formal Settlement
24.	02013B	Serious	19100147 F02 I	07/24/2006	08/01/2006	$0	$0	$0	09/07/2006	F - Formal Settlement
25.	02014	Serious	19100165 B05	07/24/2006	08/01/2006	$1,050	$1,050	$0	09/07/2006	F - Formal Settlement
26.	02015	Serious	19100178 C02 IV	07/24/2006	08/01/2006	$1,050	$2,100	$0	09/07/2006	F - Formal Settlement
27.	02016	Serious	19101001 J02 I	07/24/2006	08/01/2006	$1,050	$2,100	$0	09/07/2006	F - Formal Settlement
28.	02017	Serious	19101048 D02 II	07/24/2006	08/01/2006	$1,050	$1,050	$0	09/07/2006	F - Formal Settlement
29.	02018	Serious	19101048 M05	07/24/2006	08/01/2006	$1,050	$1,050	$0	09/07/2006	F - Formal Settlement
30.	02019	Serious	19101200 E01	07/24/2006	08/01/2006	$1,050	$2,100	$0	09/07/2006	F - Formal Settlement
31.	02020	Serious	19101200 F05	07/24/2006	08/01/2006	$1,050	$1,050	$0	09/07/2006	F - Formal Settlement
32.	02021A	Serious	19101200 H01	07/24/2006	08/01/2006	$1,050	$2,100	$0	09/07/2006	F - Formal Settlement
33.	02021B	Serious	19101200 H03 III	07/24/2006	08/01/2006	$0	$0	$0	09/07/2006	F - Formal Settlement
34.	03001	Other	19100132 F01	07/24/2006	08/01/2006	$0	$0	$0	09/07/2006	F - Formal Settlement
35.	03002	Other	19100134 E01	07/24/2006	08/01/2006	$0	$0	$0	09/07/2006	F - Formal Settlement
36.	03003	Other	19100157 E02	07/24/2006	08/01/2006	$0	$0	$0	09/07/2006	F - Formal Settlement
37.	03004	Other	19100178 L01 II	07/24/2006	08/01/2006	$0	$0	$0	09/07/2006	F - Formal Settlement
38.	03005	Other	19100178 L05	07/24/2006	08/01/2006	$0	$0	$0	09/07/2006	F - Formal Settlement
39.	03006	Other	19100178 L06	07/24/2006	08/01/2006	$0	$0	$0	09/07/2006	F - Formal Settlement
40.	03007	Other	19100178 Q07	07/24/2006	08/01/2006	$0	$0	$0	09/07/2006	F - Formal Settlement

Investigation Summary

Investigation Nr: 202077301

Event: 01/31/2006

Employees Are Injured in Chemical Explosion; One Dies

On January 31, 2006, a runaway reaction occurred at Synthron, Inc., while employees were making Modarez MFP-BH. The polymerization reaction included toluene, cyclohexane, n-butyl acrylate, and benzoyl peroxide. According to the employer's records, there were 2,689 pounds of the solvent blend and 1,923 pounds of N-Butyl Acrylate in a Pfaudler reactor (M-1). Two 55-gallon drums and one 330-gallon IBC tote were positioned in front of reactor M-1. The containers held a solvent blend of toluene, cyclohexane, and benzoyl peroxide. At the time of the incident, the contents of one of the drums and a portion of a second drum had been transferred to the M-1 reactor. Employee #1 walked away from the reactor, intending to turn a valve on the M-5 reactor to begin a nitrogen purge and move the contents of M-5 to M-1. While walking down a stair to perform this task, Employee #1 heard a loud, high-pitched sound. He immediately went back up and observed the Teflon 18 in. envelope gasket from M-1 hanging down from the manway and vapors coming through the opening. Other employees began to hear the sound. After Employee #1 observed the vapors being emitted, he walked outside and met other employees outside the production door, on the Northwest side of the building. Employee #2 was operating a forklift inside the drumming area when he heard the sound. He left the area and met with Employee #3 and Employee #4. They walked up to the Northwest side of the building. Employee #5 instructed Employee #3 to go get the Plant Manager. Employee #5 then donned a full-face respirator and entered the building to turn on the chill water to the reactor. After a few seconds, Employee #5 returned after failing to obtain a good seal on the respirator and smelling vapors. Employee #1 then donned the respirator and went inside the building. Employee #3 and Employee #6 walked up and joined the other employees outside the production door. When Employee #1 exited the building, an explosion occurred. Twelve employees and two bystanders sustained various injuries. Five of the employees were hospitalized with various injuries, and one died later of burns.

Keywords: BURN, LEAK, FRACTURE, VAPOR, EXPLOSION, CHEMICAL REACTION, CHEMICAL BURN, CHEMICAL VAPOR, CHEMICAL, RESPIRATOR

Investigated Inspection
#	Inspection	Degree of Injury	Nature of Injury	Occupation
1	309847127	Fatality	Burn/Scald(Heat)	Not specified mechanics and repairers
2	309847127	Hospitalized injury	Bruise/Contus/Abras	Occupation not reported
3	309847127	Non Hospitalized injury	Other	Occupation not reported
4	309847127	Hospitalized injury	Burn/Scald(Heat)	Not specified mechanics and repairers
5	309847127	Hospitalized injury	Burn/Scald(Heat)	Management related occupations, n.e.c.
6	309847127	Hospitalized injury	Fracture	Occupation not reported
7	309847127	Non Hospitalized injury	Other	Occupation not reported
8	309847127	Non Hospitalized injury	Bruise/Contus/Abras	Occupation not reported
9	309847127	Non Hospitalized injury	Strain/Sprain	Occupation not reported
10	309847127	Non Hospitalized injury	Other	Occupation not reported
11	309847127	Non Hospitalized injury	Other	Managers, marketing, advertising, & public rela.
12	309847127	Non Hospitalized injury	Strain/Sprain	Occupation not reported

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