Washington — Chemical facilities should establish safety management systems “even in the absence of regulatory requirements” and communicate lessons from past incidents to help keep workers safe, the Chemical Safety Board says.
CSB recently issued a final report on a fatal explosion and eruption in May 2024 at the Techniques Surfaces USA facility in Chattanooga, TN.
Agency investigators found that an explosion stemming from a liquid nitriding process resulted as workers processed rollers submerged in molten salt baths. One roller remained plugged with salt. After being rinsed in hot water to remove residual salt, the rollers were reinserted into the 800° F salt bath to melt salt from the plugged roller…