LAPSE:2020.0629
Published Article
LAPSE:2020.0629
Investigation and Analysis of a Hazardous Chemical Accident in the Process Industry: Triggers, Roots, and Lessons Learned
Jianhao Wang, Gui Fu, Mingwei Yan
June 23, 2020
This paper performs an in-depth investigation and analysis on a catastrophic hazardous chemical accident involving domino effects in China based on an emerging accident causation model—the 24Model. The triggers and roots of the incident from the individual and organizational levels have been identified and several useful lessons have been summarized to avoid similar mistakes. This accident began with a leak of vinyl chloride caused by the failure of the gas holder’s bell housing and the operators’ mishandling. Leaked vinyl chloride was ignited by a high-temperature device in the process of diffusion and the fire quickly spread to the illegally parked vehicles. Several organizations were involved in this accident, and the chemical company should bear the main responsibility for it, and shall establish and implement an effective safety management system in its organizational structure and staffing, facilities management, hazards identification, emergency disposal, etc., to improve safety performance in a systematic way. Enterprises in the chemical industry park shall enhance the communication to clarify major hazard installations in their domains, and conduct regular safety evaluation for the plant as the external environment changed. Government agencies shall plan the layout of the chemical industry park scientifically and ensure safety starts with the design stage. The case study provides a practical procedure for accident investigation and analysis, and thus, preventive measures can be made according to the various causations at different levels.
Keywords
24Model, cause analysis, hazardous chemical accident, individual, organization
Suggested Citation
Wang J, Fu G, Yan M. Investigation and Analysis of a Hazardous Chemical Accident in the Process Industry: Triggers, Roots, and Lessons Learned. (2020). LAPSE:2020.0629
Author Affiliations
Wang J: School of Transportation & Logistics Engineering, Shandong Jiaotong University, Jinan 250357, China [ORCID]
Fu G: School of Emergency Management & Safety Engineering, China University of Mining and Technology, Beijing 100083, China
Yan M: School of Transportation & Logistics Engineering, Shandong Jiaotong University, Jinan 250357, China
Journal Name
Processes
Volume
8
Issue
4
Article Number
E477
Year
2020
Publication Date
2020-04-18
Published Version
ISSN
2227-9717
Version Comments
Original Submission
Other Meta
PII: pr8040477, Publication Type: Case Reports
Record Map
Published Article

LAPSE:2020.0629
This Record
External Link

doi:10.3390/pr8040477
Publisher Version
Download
Files
[Download 1v1.pdf] (6.8 MB)
Jun 23, 2020
Main Article
License
CC BY 4.0
Meta
Record Statistics
Record Views
321
Version History
[v1] (Original Submission)
Jun 23, 2020
 
Verified by curator on
Jun 23, 2020
This Version Number
v1
Citations
Most Recent
This Version
URL Here
https://psecommunity.org/LAPSE:2020.0629
 
Original Submitter
Calvin Tsay
Links to Related Works
Directly Related to This Work
Publisher Version