The US Chemical Safety Board (CSB) released a new safety video on its investigation into an explosion and fire that occurred in May 2019 at the AB Specialty Silicones facility in Waukegan, Illinois. The incident killed four workers, destroyed the facility, and caused extensive damage to nearby businesses.
The video includes an animation of the events leading up to the incident, and interviews with both the CSB’s Chairperson and Lead Investigator.
During the incident, two incompatible chemicals were mixed during production of an emulsion product. The chemicals reacted and produced flammable hydrogen gas that ignited, causing the fatal explosion.
The incident resulted from inadequate recognition and evaluation of reactive chemical hazards.