2 federal agencies look at blast
Parallel investigations begin in Pasadena over explosion that hurt 21 employees at Kuraray America Eval chemical plant
The Chemical Safety Board and the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration are investigating the cause of a chemical explosion that injured 21 workers at the Kuraray America Eval plant in Pasadena.
The explosion occurred Saturday morning when part of the plant’s production system leaked ethylene, a highly flammable gas used to make many types of plastics. The release caused an explosion and a flash fire that sent 21 workers to the hospital with burns and other injuries. Eighteen have since been released.
Kuraray America, a subsidiary of the Toyko-based specialty chemical maker, said in a statement Monday that early findings indicate that one of the plant’s reactors leaked ethylene that then caught fire. It said it’s cooperating with the investigations and taking steps to prevent future incidents.
Two Houston personal injury law firms are representing some of the workers in lawsuits against the company.
Houston attorneys Benny Agosto and Mo Aziz are representing nine injured workers. On Monday, they obtained in Harris County court a temporary restraining order to prevent Kuraray from destroying evidence related to the case.
Spokeswoman Madison Kauffman said the firm’s clients have been released from the hospital but are still being treated for burns. Some suffered orthopedic injuries after falling
from scaffolding, she added.
On Sunday, Houston attorney Anthony Buzbee filed a $1 million lawsuit against Kuraray on behalf of Eduardo Rodriguez, a badly burned worker who allegedly jumped 25 feet from a scaffold during the blaze. The suit accuses Kuraray of gross negligence and failing to maintain a safe work environment.
Chris Leavitt, an attorney on the case, said his client was released from the hospital Sunday, but was readmitted for further burn treatment on his back, arms and legs. He also sustained injuries after allegedly leaping from the flaming scaffold.
“It’s a rough choice to make,” Leavitt said. “Stay where you are and be subject to the flames, or jump 25 feet to the ground.”
The firm is representing six other workers.
Four investigators with the Chemical Safety Board arrived at the plant over the weekend. Agency spokesman Tom Zoeller said they’ll likely remain on site for the next several weeks to gather evidence and interview witnesses. The investigation and analysis are expected to take a year or longer to complete.
“They’ll determine not only what happened, but why it happened,” Zoeller said.
OSHA is conducting a parallel investigation. Spokeswoman Chauntra Rideaux said the agency will release further details once the inquiry is completed.
Kuraray’s Eval plant, located on Bay Area Boulevard, opened in 1986 to produce ethylene vinyl alcohol, a chemical used in food packaging. The plant is now the world’s largest of that type, capable of producing 47,000 tons annually.
The company is expanding the plant to produce 58,000 tons a year, a project expected to wrap up in the coming months.
OSHA and Chemical Safety Board records show no past violations at the site.
Company officials on Saturday said it would take at least a few days to assess the damage and determine when operations can resume.