One federal agency has turned a near-tragic chemical release in northeast Kansas into a “teachable moment.”
The U.S. Chemical Safety Board has made a safety video out of what happened Oct. 21, 2016 when more than 11,000 people were evacuated and 140 others were hurt in the toxic chemical release at the MGPI Processing facility in Atchison, Kansas.
The release happened during what was described as a routine chemical delivery. Two incompatible chemicals, sulfuric acid and sodium hypochlorite were inadvertently mixed and formed a toxic cloud.
The federal agency’s training and safety video is titled “Mixed Connection: Toxic Result” and includes interviews with a CSB investigator.
What the federal investigators learned was that a truck from the chemical distribution company, Harcros Chemicals arrived to finish a delivery of sulfuric acid. An MGPI operator led the driver to the loading area where he unlocked the sulfuric acid line for the driver to connect the truck’s hose. But as the CSB learned, the sodium hypochlorite line was also unlocked and the two lines were only 18 inches apart. They looked similar and were not clearly marked so the driver inadvertently hooked his sulfuric acid hose to the sodium hypochlorite fill line and the two chemicals mixed.
Why make the video? The CSB says it’s because chemical distribution takes place on a massive scale across the U.S. Nearly 40 million tons of product were delivered to customers every 8.4 seconds in 2016 and the opportunities for incidents like the one at MGPI exist every day.