# DuPont accident



## aguaflaca (Aug 11, 2005)

just saw this and didn't see it on here yet. may they RIP and prayers for their families. it can happen at any time in a plant. be safe. 
http://www.khou.com/story/news/local/2014/11/15/storage-leak-has-la-porte-in-a-stink/19085759/


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## bill (May 21, 2004)

Just heard this on the news as well. Very sad and part of the life in a plant.

Prayers to the Families


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## cva34 (Dec 22, 2008)

*Stinky stuff*

What a tragedy..If I remember correctly its also the odor they put in Natural Gas to give it odor...And a little goes a long way..I remember a co worker that cut into a capsule 1/4" tube by about 1" to see what was in it..We had to evaluate LAB for 4h with air movers going and were talking 4Ksf building..Funny that guy now works for DOW..Prayers go out to all involved..


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## willeye (Mar 2, 2007)

prayers sent. I went by at 4 this morning on way home and its was really strong.


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## gunsmoke11 (Apr 30, 2012)

bill said:


> Just heard this on the news as well. Very sad and part of the life in a plant.
> 
> Prayers to the Families


Its just the risk we take day in and day out to make a buck...prayers for the family's! Be safe out there guys never know when its your turn to go!


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## aguaflaca (Aug 11, 2005)

gunsmoke11 said:


> Its just the risk we take day in and day out to make a buck...prayers for the family's! Be safe out there guys never know when its your turn to go!


amen on this.


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## Whitebassfisher (May 4, 2007)

cva34 said:


> What a tragedy..If I remember correctly its also the odor they put in Natural Gas to give it odor...And a little goes a long way..I remember a co worker that cut into a capsule 1/4" tube by about 1" to see what was in it..We had to evaluate LAB for 4h with air movers going and were talking 4Ksf building..Funny that guy now works for DOW..Prayers go out to all involved..


Yes, I believe you are correct about it being added to natural gas for odor.
*
Butanethiol*_, also known as *butyl mercaptan*, is a volatile, clear to yellowish liquid with a fetid (extremely foul-smelling) odor, commonly described as "skunk" odor. In fact, butanethiol is structurally similar to several major constituents of a skunk's defensive spray but is not actually present in the spray.[1] The scent of butanethiol is so strong that the human nose can easily detect it in the air at concentrations as low as 10 parts per billion. The threshold level for 1-butanethiol is reported as 1.4 ppb_

Plant workers are in a dangerous environment. It is fairly common to smell mercaptans on 225 at Sims Bayou.


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## jamesf888 (May 21, 2004)

Prayers to the families and employees of DuPont.

We train and try to minimize the risk but, there is still a risk.

Be Safe in all you do.

james


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## Won Hunglo (Apr 24, 2007)

Prayers...


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## Leo (May 21, 2004)

Parts of my hometown in north NJ was declared a super site because of ****inn dDupont..they dont care about anything but the bottem line


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## V-Bottom (Jun 16, 2007)

1 Qt of that stuff to odorize 8100 gallons of LPG......a tanker


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## Whitebassfisher (May 4, 2007)

Leo said:


> Parts of my hometown in north NJ was declared a super site because of ****inn dDupont..they dont care about anything but the bottem line


And that is different than other plants in what way?


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## JFolm (Apr 22, 2012)

Terrible news. Don't get complacent out there guys.


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## Rustled Again (Mar 30, 2005)

I lived at Spencer Hwy and Fairmont Pkwy for many years and have wondered how Dupont has managed to contain all the that the produce. My condolences for all involved.


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## bubbas kenner (Sep 4, 2010)

Prayers sent.Not good news,I too work very very close to there.I pray everyday for our safety.


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## Texxan1 (Dec 31, 2004)

This isnt about dupont, this is about lives lost... There are many many fatalities that we do not hear about in the industry outside of this country and in this country. Operators are paid well, but are also trained very well in 99% of the plants in our country.

Take time out to reflect on these people, and be there for the families. 

Good men and women lose lives every day in business.

A few of us on here know people involved in this incident. Details will come when we know more.

It saddens me to hear of this incident and any that involves the people that work in this industry and all others.

Thomas


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## portalto (Oct 1, 2004)

Texxan1 said:


> This isnt about dupont, this is about lives lost... There are many many fatalities that we do not hear about in the industry outside of this country and in this country. Operators are paid well, but are also trained very well in 99% of the plants in our country.
> 
> Take time out to reflect on these people, and be there for the families.
> 
> ...


Thank you.


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## Hevy Dee (May 26, 2004)

*So Sad*

prayers to all affected. That must me some strong stuff. I walked outside this morning around 6:00am in Missouri City (40 miles) and the smell was overpowering - I thought my neighbor must have sprayed so strong pesticide or something. Terrible...


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## jwales (Dec 25, 2012)

Prayers go out here as well. Give it time there has to be more to this story. Mercaptan in no way got them, it just stinks. Gonna be something like H2S, N2 asphyxiation, etc....


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## Bocephus (May 30, 2008)

jwales said:


> Prayers go out here as well. Give it time there has to be more to this story. Mercaptan in no way got them, it just stinks. Gonna be something like H2S, N2 asphyxiation, etc....


You might want to refer to an MSDS for Methyl Mercaptan before you make that claim.

*Fatal if inhaled. Methy mercaptan acts on the respiratory center producing death by respiratory paralysis. Inhalation may also cause swelling and fluid retention in the lungs (edema), cyanosis, narcotic effects, acute hemolytic anemia, methemoglobinemia and damage to the liver and kidneys.
*

Refer to :

http://msds.lindeus.com/files/msds/wps_lind_078_na_msds_final_rev_9_10_10.pdf


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## CopanoCruisin (May 28, 2006)

Oh what a terrible tragedy. Our prayers and thoughts go out to our fellow industrial workers and their families.......cC


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## ksk (Aug 9, 2008)

*Odor*



cva34 said:


> What a tragedy..If I remember correctly its also the odor they put in Natural Gas to give it odor...And a little goes a long way..I remember a co worker that cut into a capsule 1/4" tube by about 1" to see what was in it..We had to evaluate LAB for 4h with air movers going and were talking 4Ksf building..Funny that guy now works for DOW..Prayers go out to all involved..


The smell was so strong when I went outside to get my paper at 6:30am here in Missouri City,I thought I or a neighbor had a gas leak.I called Entex[they said there was a gas release east of me].Prayers for the families.


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## Texxan1 (Dec 31, 2004)

Thanks Bo!!!!!!!!!!!

I work with mercaptan and I know what the MSDS says. It can and will kill you. In this case, It killed 4 and permanently hurt 1...

CSB is on site and already investigating.

Prayers go out to the families.



Bocephus said:


> You might want to refer to an MSDS for Methyl Mercaptan before you make that claim.
> 
> *Fatal if inhaled. Methy mercaptan acts on the respiratory center producing death by respiratory paralysis. Inhalation may also cause swelling and fluid retention in the lungs (edema), cyanosis, narcotic effects, acute hemolytic anemia, methemoglobinemia and damage to the liver and kidneys.
> *
> ...


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## capt. david (Dec 29, 2004)

My condolences to all the families and co-workers.


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## Tortuga (May 21, 2004)

Condolensces to all the families. I don't think I have the guts to drive thru those gates every morning and go to work in essentially a bomb.. Seen and read about too many bad events along the channel in my lifetime...

A tip of the hat to all you guys that work the plants. We absolutely have to have what they produce but it still takes a special kind of guy to shoulder the risks..


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## SpecklFinAddict (Dec 19, 2004)

2 of the 5 were a coworkers father and uncle...terrible tragedy and prayers out to all the Tisnado family on their loss as well as the other 3 involved.


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## troutslayer (Feb 7, 2006)

Terrible tragedy to all involved.......someone's father, brother, son, uncle or otherwise love one did not make the drive home

We strive every day to make sure that procedures and policies are followed on a daily basis

way to early to speculate the reasons for this tragedy.......

one of the reason they say that our safety policies are written in blood

most people don't think about why we have these rules in place.....they just think we are interfering in their ability to do a job the easy way

It matters not if you work in a chem plant or refinery........safety should be at the forefront of everything you do......cause someone wants you to come home

The effects of this tragedy are like ripples from a rock thrown in a pond.......they go way beyond the initial site of the incident

May the Lord ease the pain of a loved one from a life gone way too early from this world


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## chaco (Dec 24, 2010)

Texxan1 said:


> This isnt about dupont, this is about lives lost... There are many many fatalities that we do not hear about in the industry outside of this country and in this country. Operators are paid well, but are also trained very well in 99% of the plants in our country.
> 
> Take time out to reflect on these people, and be there for the families. â€¦


Very well said. 
I spent almost 9 years working in refineries in the 70's. I realized I was always on edge and wanted to do something else after one particular vapor release, which I will never forget.

Sitting in offices ever since, I still miss the camaraderie and atmosphere of working amongst the equipment and the people out there.

My sincere condolences go to all touched by this tragic event.
...


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## Big Guns 1971 (Nov 7, 2013)

Texxan1 said:


> This isnt about dupont, this is about lives lost... There are many many fatalities that we do not hear about in the industry outside of this country and in this country. Operators are paid well, but are also trained very well in 99% of the plants in our country.
> 
> Take time out to reflect on these people, and be there for the families.
> 
> ...


I beg to differ. I don't believe 99% of plants have adequate training in our country. I'm not saying they don't have training I'm saying adequate training. Some do but most don't have the training they should have. Most operators don't know the chemistry behind the products they make and then there are trade secrets that most know nothing about. Believe me there are gaps in training that need to be filled. Most operators only know their job and don't have a clue what goes on in other areas of their plant. I'm not saying that this was the cause of this horrible release, that I wish never happened. I lost some Friends yesterday that should still be living today. Yes, We know there are risks that we take everyday when we walk through then gates, but it still doesn't make it any easier. Please pray for all that were involved. This still has me shook up.


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## JakeNeil (Nov 10, 2012)

There are those who know and there are those who don't...
There are those who care and there are those who don't...

They both have the same jobs. Unfortunately the ones who know and care are often the victims of those who don't know and don't care.

There is too much involved to know the truth of what really happened. And in fact many are angry only because they don't know what happened... It's like slowing down to see a wreck on the highway and then being mad because the ambulance is blocking your view.

There are operators who are too lazy to get up, and then there are operators that aren't willing to sit down. Some Operators view contractors as their greatest source of information and there are some that view them as nuisances. 

Some contractors won't lift a finger unless all safety precautions have been addressed and some contractors will take chances because they know if the permits not ready then they go home. If they go home, they don't get paid. 

Some contractors will build/repair things right or will take short cuts knowing their contract will be up before their work fails.

It's all about character. And again, they all work together. Some are proud of what they do and some are just simply proud of their paycheck. 

When evacuation is ordered and most are rushing out, there are a few that are rushing in. It's usually those with character that suffer the consequences and nobody can replace them. It's a tragedy.

The scariest part is not the lack of safety regulations in chem plants and refineries, it's the fact that when work resumes the only ones that could be left are the ones who didn't care in the first place.


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## Leo (May 21, 2004)

Whitebassfisher said:


> And that is different than other plants in what way?


I guess that makes it okay then. 30 years of dumping cancerous materials into lakes, streams and the ground caused the cancer rate in that area to be very high compared to other areas.


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## Too Tall (May 21, 2004)

Leo said:


> I guess that makes it okay then. 30 years of dumping cancerous materials into lakes, streams and the ground caused the cancer rate in that area to be very high compared to other areas.


And that has what to do with the 4 people that lost their life in this tragic incident? If you have a beef with DuPont, and it sounds like you do, please start a thread about it and leave it out of this one.


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## Shady Walls (Feb 20, 2014)

Prayers to the family, friends, and co-workers. My father was a operator and I retierd after 32 years as a operator. Have lost friends in plant tragedies.


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## POC Fishin' Gal (Nov 20, 2009)

My prayers to their families and friends. Only after joining this forum have I ever known about the inside of a plant and all the dangers the employees encounter. My prayers go out to all of you for a safe day every day, and thank you for what you do to bring us things we need. I had no idea the possible danger you encounter every day. Bless all of you.


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## Law Dog (Jul 27, 2010)

Prayers sent to the family and friends,


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## Bigj (Jul 22, 2007)

Sad day for Family deepest condolences to them---

Im in a Acid plant we use to me H2S stopped years back now you just have to worry about getting burnt with acids


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## JimG (May 2, 2005)

Prayers to the families. Lives changed forever...


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## oOslikOo (Jul 13, 2010)

Prayers for the families.


you never know when something could happen. Ive seen people get hit with sulfuric, and i got hit with chlorine gas in October. Never know when a valve could blow out or something of the like.


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## cabolew (Aug 12, 2005)

Prayers to the families and friends. Many of us work in the industry and accept the risks. We must always look out for each other. Please everyone be safe.


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## BATWING (May 9, 2008)

Prayers to the families! I saw the Dupont rep on the news this morning stating how safe the gas cloud is/was. If they were so serious on how to change the chemical make up of the product to smell so foul for detection purposes, then how is it safe? No comprende. They put in the stinky for a reason and Im pretty sure its toxic.


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## 98aggie77566 (Jul 7, 2009)

Prayers for the families.
And prayers for those that spend their days/nights in these plants.

I was dangerously close to losing my Dad when I was about 8 years old (not sure of exact year)....the control room that he was in blew up just minutes after he walked out. Luckily no one was killed.....could have been really bad....though a combination of that and the Pasadena explosion did force the company to make a lot of changes.


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## KeeperTX (Jul 8, 2013)

Prayers for the families...


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## spike404 (Sep 13, 2010)

Batwing,
The released chemical, mercaptan sulfur, is the odorizer, not the chemical that is odorized, natural gas.

New London School Disaster, a example of unodorized natural gas, 295 killed: 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_London_School_explosion


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## Whitebassfisher (May 4, 2007)

In my early days at the refinery, we used mercaptan to introduce sulfur into a unit in a controlled way after replacing catalyst in reactors in units designed to remove sulfur from oil. It was a way to start the de-sulfurization reaction. Later, we used pre-sulfided catalyst. Mercaptan is definitely some nasty stuff. 

The power and danger in any plant is almost unbelievable. In general, plants are relatively safe. Modern engineering has made vehicles much safer than they used to be, but cars will never be 100% safe. I see plants as similar. Plants are a necessity, but will never be totally safe.

What Spike says above is true. Natural gas is mainly methane, a simple hydrocarbon gas which has no odor or color that we detect. Mercaptan is added just to help give it a smell for safety reasons.


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## jtbailey (Apr 29, 2012)

grew up 4 houses down from him went to school and graduated with the guy. He was a helluva running back NO ONE ever wanted to tackle, but he was an even better person that everyone wanted to be around. He was such a great family man and friend. Called my dad and he said cars lined 2 blocks of all the people at Robert's dad's house yesterday, even a few news vans. I just CAN NOT believe he is gone, he is so dearly missed by many..... this hurts


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## WildCard07 (Jul 15, 2012)

Thoughts and prayers to everyone involved and the families of those that passed. Nothing short of tragic.


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## smokinguntoo (Mar 28, 2012)

Final Report on Dupont Incident:

https://www.click2houston.com/news/...-to-deadly-incident-at-la-porte-plant-in-2014

SG2


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## impulse (Mar 17, 2010)

_The DuPont La Porte bonus structure may have disincentivized workers from reporting injuries, incidents, and â€œnear misses.â€ Ensuring that employees can report injuries or incidents in accordance with regulations, without fear of discrimination, retaliation, or another adverse consequence is central to protecting worker safety and health and aiding accident prevention._

Sound familiar to anyone?

I'm in the upstream side and one of my vivid recollections was an offshore drilling rig that celebrated 5 years of "No Lost Time" a month after a worker was killed on the rig floor. On that same rig, I met guys who had broken arms, legs, and ribs on the job, but weren't allowed to report their injuries. Some seriously dysfunctional cultures still remain.

And they wonder why the public doesn't trust us.


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