4 WORKERS INHALE TOXIC CONCENTRATIONS OF METHYL MERCAPTAN AND DIE AT DUPONT'S LA PORTE TEXAS CHEMICAL PLANT - UPDATE
CSB DuPont- LaPorte, TX Investigation
Update 430 p.m. Monday Nov. 17, 2014
The CSB investigation into the tragic accident at
DuPont's La Porte, Texas, chemical plant got underway this morning at 8
a.m. Seven members of the eight-member team met with company
and local union representatives to map out the direction of the CSB
investigation. This took place in a company building conference room
at the facility.
Subsequently, investigators began interviews of several
DuPont personnel, with plans being made to interview shift workers and
other possible witnesses to the events that led to a release of highly toxic
methyl mercaptan, exposure to which killed four workers early Saturday
morning. Those interviews were continuing this afternoon.
The CSB is coordinating the worker
interviews with the help of International Chemical Workers Union
Council representatives.
The team has not yet been able to access the area
where the leak and the deaths occurred, described by Investigator Banks as an
approximately 5-stories high enclosed structure with piping, valves and
other equipment.
Mr. Banks said, "DuPont is taking steps to assure
the area is safe to access. We will be evaluating that process and when we
determine it is safe for our team members to document the site we will enter.
We don't know how soon that will be. We have asked the company to preserve the
status of the process, valve and other equipment settings as close as possible
to where they were at the time of the accident to aid in our
investigation."
He continued, "At this point, obviously it is too
soon for us to be able to determine the immediate cause of this accident.
We will release information to the public as soon as confirmed findings are
known."
Investigators are preparing document requests which
typically concern maintenance schedules, operator training, equipment
histories, hazard analyses and other information critical to determining the
root cause of the accident.
