Plant workers fearful after fatal explosion

Press, 28 May 1979, Page 9

Plant workers fearful after fatal explosion

NZPA-Reuter Pittsburgh, California A new chemical-manufac-turing unit at a Dow Chemical Company plant at Pittsburg, California, exploded during a test on Saturday, killing two workers and injuring 55 others. A worker who survived the accident said afterwards that many who worked at the plant feared for their safety. Of the 55 reported injured by Dow officials, many were admitted to hospitals, including five described as in serious condition. Dow officials did not know the cause of the explosion. “It was really rugged, like shrapnel.” said Mr Bob Mayo, manager of employee relatior.s for the small plant,

55km north-east of San Francisco.

None of the injured or killed were Dow employees. They worked for one Of three local contractors.

“The equipment that failed was brand new,” Mr Mayo said. “We were testing it. It appears something happened in the catalyst in this vessel — a sudden rise in temperature and pressure.

“We don’t know what happened chemically,” Mr Mayo said. “It should not have happened.” Mr Jack Jones, a company i spokesman, said a team of Dow scientists and engineers had been established to investigate the cause, and a separate investigation had I been launched by the Federal Occupational Safety and] Health Administrations.

Mr Jones also acknowledged that safety questions had been raised recently about the plant. “Two weeks ago, we had a meeting with workers to: try to relieve their fears of smells and odours they were reporting,” Mr Jones said, adding that the company had provided the workers with respirators and had outlined an evacuation: procedure. “We were assured over; and over again that there' was no danger,” said an inIsulation worker, Mr Joe i Scholes, who reported that he had been 13 metres from the tank when it exploded land the impact knocked him (down. “We all thought it was (unsafe from the start,” he I said. i