The U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board released a new safety video on its investigation into the massive April 8, 2021, explosion and fire that fatally injured one worker at the Yenkin-Majestic Paint Corporation facility in Columbus, Ohio.
The CSB’s new safety video, Low Pressure, Fatal Consequence: Explosion at Yenkin-Majestic, includes an animation of the incident and commentary from CSB Board Member Sylvia Johnson and Investigator-In-Charge Melike Yersiz. The CSB’s final investigation report on the incident was released in November 2023.
On the evening of April 7, 2021, during a batch operation to produce resin, flammable solvent was inadvertently added to a low-pressure vessel called a kettle while the kettle’s agitator was unexpectedly off. As a result, the solvent did not mix with the resin as intended and instead formed a liquid layer on top of the hot resin.
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When the kettle’s operator discovered that the agitator was off, he turned it back on. But as the agitator began mixing the hot resin with the liquid solvent layer, the liquid solvent suddenly vaporized, increasing the pressure inside the kettle rapidly. This led to the failure of the kettle’s new manway that was installed approximately three months before the incident.
A flammable vapor cloud quickly spread throughout the facility and within minutes found an ignition source, causing a massive explosion and a large fire that burned for roughly 11 hours. One employee died during the incident, and eight other workers were injured.
In the video CSB Board Member Sylvia Johnson states, “The CSB’s investigation determined that Yenkin-Majestic failed to ensure the mechanical integrity of the newly installed manway, which was not adequately designed, constructed, or pressure tested. The company also lacked engineering controls that could have prevented the incident and did not have adequate emergency response preparations in place. The result was a tragic accident that could have been prevented.”
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As in the CSB’s final report, the safety video covers three key safety issues that contributed to the incident:
- Mechanical integrity of low-pressure vessels
- Safeguard selection and the hierarchy of controls
- Emergency preparedness
The video also highlights safety recommendations made by the CSB to Yenkin-Majestic, the American Petroleum Institute, and. the American Society of Mechanical Engineers.
The CSB is an independent, nonregulatory federal agency charged with investigating incidents and hazards that result, or may result, in the catastrophic release of extremely hazardous substances. The agency’s core mission activities include conducting incident investigations; formulating preventive or mitigative recommendations based on investigation findings and advocating for their implementation; issuing reports containing the findings, conclusions, and recommendations arising from incident investigations; and conducting studies on chemical hazards.
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