Fatal Texas Chemical Blast Caused by Brittle Pipe, Poor Planning

Chemical plant operators must ensure that pipes don’t become brittle and unable to handle high-pressure liquids, a federal safety agency concluded in its review of a Texas chemical explosion that killed one worker and injured 30 others.

The US Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board late Thursday released the resultsof its investigation into the fatal accident in April 2019 at KMCO LLC’s specialty chemical manufacturing plant in the Houston suburb of Crosby, Texas.

The board concluded that a fracture in a three-inch-diameter cast iron, y-shaped pipe led to the release of more than 10,000 pounds of flammable liquid isobutylene ...