1. Typical accidents that occurred in June 2024
Gansu Honghui Energy Chemical Co., Ltd. "6.11" nitrogen suffocation accident
On June 11, 2024, a nitrogen suffocation accident occurred in the mobile pellet bed production line of Gansu Honghui Energy Chemical Co., Ltd. dry distillation line 2#, resulting in 3 deaths. The direct cause of the accident was: the maintenance operator did not purge first, then replace and re-test according to the requirements of the operating procedures, and opened the manhole for fault inspection in violation of regulations without taking any protective measures and without applying for a confined space operation ticket.
2. Hazardous chemical accidents that occurred in July in history
(1) Domestic accidents
Petrochemical
PetroChina Qingyang Petrochemical Branch "7.26" atmospheric pressure device leakage and fire accident
On July 26, 2015, the residue/crude oil heat exchanger of the atmospheric pressure unit of PetroChina Qingyang Petrochemical Company leaked and caught fire, killing three people and injuring four others. The direct cause of the accident was that the pipe plug of the liquid discharge port of the outer head cover of the residual oil/crude oil heat exchanger of the atmospheric pressure device was assembled incorrectly during the maintenance process, which led to the pipe plug falling off under high temperature and high pressure, and the high-temperature residue (its spontaneous ignition point of 240 °C) of about 342 °C-346 °C was sprayed instantly, and spontaneously combusted in the air, causing a fire.
Shandong Shida Science and Technology Petrochemical Co., Ltd. "7.16" large deflagration accident
On July 16, 2015, the liquefied hydrocarbon spherical tank of Shandong Shida Science and Technology Petrochemical Co., Ltd. leaked and caught fire during the tank dumping operation, causing an explosion, causing minor injuries to 2 firefighters and a direct economic loss of 28.12 million yuan. The direct cause of the accident is that in the process of pouring the tank, the method of replacing the tank with water injection is adopted in violation of regulations, and the site is unattended in the process of cutting water, resulting in the discharge of liquefied petroleum gas from the drainage outlet after the water is discharged, and the static electricity generated in the leakage process or due to the violent dancing of the fire hose, the sparks caused by the collision between the metal interface and the binding wire and the equipment or pipeline cause deflagration.
Liaoning Dalian Petrochemical Company atmospheric and vacuum device heat exchanger "7.16" leakage fire accident
On July 16, 2011, the 10 million tons/year atmospheric and vacuum distillation unit heat exchanger E-1007D pipe section crude oil head flange in the production area of Dalian Petrochemical Company in Liaoning Province leaked and caught fire, resulting in a fire in part of the steel frame, heat exchanger, pipelines and valves of the device, and no casualties. The direct cause of the accident was that the flange of the E-1007D tube box suddenly leaked in large quantities, and the leaked crude oil flowed on the three-layer platform, and flowed along the gap between the platform plates to the exposed flange of the heat exchanger (E-1011AD) on the second floor below it (the flange temperature was 350-360 °C, and the flash point of crude oil was -6.7-32.2 °C), and the crude oil leaked to produce combustible vapor and burn at high temperature.
Henan Luoyang Runfang Special Oil Co., Ltd. "7.14" large poisoning accident
On July 14, 2007, Henan Province Luoyang Runfang Special Oil Co., Ltd. was cleaning the residue at the bottom of the storage tank, and a poisoning accident occurred, resulting in 3 deaths and 1 serious injury. The direct cause of the accident was that the operator violated the operating procedures, did not analyze and detect the gas in the tank, did not take safety protection measures, and directly entered the storage tank for operation. Rescuers blindly rescued without taking any safety precautions, which led to the expansion of the accident.
Hebei Cangzhou Oil Refinery "7.31" condensate leakage suffocation accident
On July 31, 1998, a suffocation accident occurred at the Cangzhou Refinery Engineering Company in Hebei Province while overhauling the condensate pump of the catalytic unit, resulting in the death of four people. The direct cause of the accident is that the catalytic device is temporarily suspended for maintenance, and the construction workers do not check and review the valve closure status according to the regulations before overhaul, because the inlet and outlet valves of the condensate oil pump are not closed, the materials are not emptied and drained, and the condensate oil is sprayed out, forming a white dense fog in the closed pump room, resulting in a suffocation accident.
Coal chemical industry
Heilongjiang Chemical Plant "7.12" storage tank fire accident
On July 12, 1994, the roof of the storage tank in the tar workshop of the Heilongjiang Chemical Plant was torn, and the storage materials erupted and caught fire, resulting in the death of three people. The direct cause of the accident was that the temperature of the tar and anthracene oil mixture injected into the storage tank was not strictly controlled, and the tar and anthracene oil mixture injected into the storage tank increased the gasification amount due to the high temperature, and the top of the tank was torn, resulting in the hot oil spraying out and catching fire.
Shaanxi Hanzhong calcium carbide plant "7.22" large explosion accident
On July 22, 1989, an explosion of molten calcium carbide in water occurred at the calcium carbide factory in Hanzhong City, Shaanxi Province, resulting in 4 deaths and 2 serious injuries. The direct cause of the accident is: there is a large area of water at the scene, no one in front of the calcium carbide pot car when it is reversed, and the wire rope is 1.8m away from the rope distributor at the knot automatically falls off when the guide wheel meets, which makes the direction of traction offset, causing one of the calcium carbide pot cars to derail and overturn, and the molten red calcium carbide explodes in water after overturning.
Sichuan Suining Chemical Plant "7.8" gas poisoning accident
On July 8, 1984, a gas poisoning accident occurred at a chemical plant in Suining County, Sichuan Province, killing three people and injuring one. The direct cause of the accident was that 4 workers entered the reformer furnace to pick up the old catalyst, and because the gas source was not cut off with a blind plate, the gas poured into the reformer furnace from the gas washing tower, resulting in the poisoning of the operators. The operator did not apply for a permit to enter the confined space, did not implement the relevant safety measures, did not have enough time to purge the harmful gases of the conversion furnace, and entered the toxic and harmful confined space without wearing a gas mask, coupled with the lack of emergency knowledge of the on-site operators, and the blind rescue led to the death of the rescuer, resulting in the expansion of the accident.
Fine chemicals
Sichuan Yibin Hengda Technology Co., Ltd. "7.12" major explosion accident
On July 12, 2018, a major explosion accident occurred in Yibin Hengda Technology Co., Ltd., Sichuan Province, resulting in 19 deaths, 12 injuries and direct economic losses of more than 4,142 yuan. The original design production scale was 2,000 tons of 5-nitroisophthalic acid and 300 tons of 2-(3-sulfonyl4-chlorobenzoyl)benzoic acid per year, but the actual production was mimicao tobacco (herbicide) and 1,2,3-triazole (pharmaceutical intermediate). The direct cause of the accident is that in the production process of micao tobacco, the operator used sodium chlorate without packaging label as butyramide and added it to the R301 kettle for dehydration operation. In the stirring state, the butylamide-sodium chlorate mixture forms an explosive system with rapid deflagration ability, and after the steam heating is turned on, the chemical explosion of the butamide-sodium chlorate mixture in the kettle is caused, and the explosion leads to the disintegration of the kettle. The high-temperature toluene vapor flushed out with the disintegration process of the kettle quickly formed an explosive mixture with the outside air and produced a secondary explosion, which caused the explosion and combustion of materials such as sodium chlorate, toluene and methanol stored in the workshop site and the fire and combustion of the second and third workshops, which further expanded the consequences of the accident and caused major casualties and property losses.
Jiangxi Jiujiang Zhijiang Chemical Company "7.2" large explosion accident
On July 2, 2017, an explosion occurred in a high-pressure reactor of Zhijiang Chemical Company in Jishan Industrial Park, Pengze County, Jiujiang City, Jiangxi Province, killing three people and injuring three others. The direct cause of the accident is that the amination reaction material has the risk of explosion and ignition, the cooling failure occurs when the accident occurs, and the safety interlock device is deactivated in violation of regulations, a large amount of reaction heat cannot be removed through the cooling medium, and the system temperature continues to rise; The reaction product p-nitroaniline decomposes at high temperature, resulting in a rapid increase in system temperature and pressure, resulting in an explosion.
Shandong Heze illegal chemical plant "7.13" large poisoning and suffocation accident
On July 13, 2016, a large poisoning and suffocation accident occurred in an illegal chemical factory located in the west of Jiyuan Village, Huangji Township, Yuncheng County, Shandong Province, resulting in three deaths and direct economic losses of 2.79 million yuan. The direct cause of the accident was: in the process of cleaning up the residual wet material of rubber accelerator (TETD, tetraethylthioperoxide dicarbonatediamide), one operator entered the reactor without ventilation replacement, testing and approval; Other personnel at the scene ventured into the reactor to rescue without taking protective measures, resulting in three people suffocating to death due to carbon disulfide poisoning.
Yunnan Qujing Zhongyi Synthetic Chemical "7·7" chlorobenzene recovery tower large deflagration accident
On July 7, 2014, a deflagration accident occurred in the chlorine benzene recovery system of the first workshop of the synthetic plant of Qujing Zhongyi Synthetic Chemical Co., Ltd. in Yunnan Province, resulting in 3 deaths, 4 injuries and direct economic losses of 5.6 million yuan. The direct cause of the accident is as follows: internal leakage of AO-heat conduction oil heat exchanger at the bottom of the chlorobenzene recovery tower, leakage of high-temperature heat conduction oil in the pipeline process into the shell and mixing with the chlorobenzene residual liquid, and entering the chlorobenzene recovery tower, causing the temperature in the tower to rise, and the gasification pressure of the residual liquid rises sharply, resulting in the explosion and combustion of the chlorobenzene recovery tower; When the temperature and pressure at the bottom of the recovery tower are abnormal and exceed the normal range of process parameters, the "stop valve" cannot be automatically adjusted and adjusted in time.
Henan Luoyang Luo Dye Co., Ltd. "7.15" large explosion accident
On July 15, 2009, an explosion occurred in a workshop of Henan Luozhi Co., Ltd., resulting in 8 deaths and 8 injuries. The direct cause of the accident was that the chlorobenzene vapor volatilized by the chlorobenzene metering tank in the neutralization and extraction operation site was ignited by the ignition source of the power line part of the power line due to aging and short circuit, and the chlorobenzene metering tank was ignited, and then an explosion occurred, resulting in the first explosion of the finished product 2,4-dinitrochlorobenzene in the washing kettle, and then the second explosion of 2,4-dinitrochlorobenzene in the nitrification kettle.
Jiangsu Sheyang Yancheng Fluorine Source Chemical Company Linhai Branch "7.28" chlorination tower major explosion accident
On July 28, 2006, an explosion occurred in the chlorination reaction tower of the No. 1 plant of Linhai Branch of Yancheng Fluorine Source Chemical Co., Ltd., Sheyang County, Yancheng City, Jiangsu Province, resulting in 22 deaths, 3 serious injuries and 26 minor injuries. The direct cause of the accident was that the condenser of the chlorination reaction tower did not stop immediately when there was no cooling water and no product outflow from the top of the tower, but mistakenly continued to heat up, so that the material (2,4-dinitrofluorobenzene) was in a high temperature state for a long time, which eventually led to its decomposition and explosion.
Jiangsu Wuxi Hudai Fine Chemical Plant "7.26" large explosion accident
On July 26, 2005, during the trial production of hexachlorocyclopentadiene at Hudai Fine Chemical Plant in Wuxi City, Jiangsu Province, an explosion occurred in the pyrolysis kettle, killing 9 people and injuring 3 others. The direct cause of the accident was that in the cracking reaction stage of the hexachlorocyclopentadiene production process, due to the serious defects in the manufacturing quality of the dicyclopentadiene cracker, the fillet weld connecting the tube sheet at the lower end and the shell flange cracked, resulting in the flow of molten salt, the heating carrier of the cracker, into the dicyclopentadiene pyrolysis kettle. The molten salt contains 55% potassium nitrate, a strong oxidizing agent, which has a violent chemical reaction with organic matter such as dicyclopentadiene in the pyrolysis kettle, resulting in the explosion of the pyrolysis kettle.
Inorganic chemicals
Gansu Jinshi Chemical Co., Ltd. "7.21" large poisoning accident
On July 21, 2013, a carbon monoxide poisoning accident occurred in the sulfide alkali workshop of Jinshi Chemical Co., Ltd. in Gansu Province, resulting in 4 deaths, 4 injuries and direct economic losses of about 3.67 million yuan. The direct cause of the accident is: the inverter of the induced draft fan trips during the operation of the dryer, the induced air volume is insufficient, the pulverized coal in the dryer is not fully combusted, and the toxic and harmful gases such as carbon monoxide are produced in the furnace, and the negative layer of the pit is reversed through the hoist casing, resulting in the concentration of toxic and harmful gases such as carbon monoxide in the pit is too high, and the operator enters the pit to clean up the ash without any protective measures, resulting in poisoning.
Gansu Baiyin Tianxiang Building Materials Chemical Co., Ltd. "7.4" large poisoning accident
On July 4, 2010, a poisoning accident occurred in the zinc carbonate plant of Tianxiang Building Materials Chemical Co., Ltd., Baiyin District, Baiyin City, Gansu Province, resulting in 3 deaths and 3 injuries. The direct cause of the accident was that ammonium bicarbonate and zinc oxide in the reaction pool reacted to produce ammonia, and the operators entered the reaction pool in violation of regulations, resulting in poisoning and coma, and the emergency response ability of the rescuers was insufficient, resulting in the expansion of the accident.
chemical fertilizer
Guizhou Xingyi Yihua Chemical "7.22" pipeline leakage large explosion accident
On July 22, 2010, an explosion occurred in the transformation section of Guizhou Yihua Chemical Co., Ltd., resulting in 8 deaths and 3 injuries. The direct cause of the accident was the leakage of the secondary pipeline of the 1# conversion system, which generated static electricity from gas erosion, which detonated the combustible gas (mainly carbon monoxide, hydrogen, etc.) on the site, resulting in a space explosion.
Shandong Deqilong Chemical Group Co., Ltd. "7.11" large explosion accident
On July 11, 2007, an explosion occurred in the first branch of Shandong Deqilong Chemical Group Co., Ltd. during the commissioning of the reconstruction and expansion project, resulting in 9 deaths and 1 injury. The direct cause of the accident is that the strength of the compressor outlet pipeline is not enough, the welding quality is poor, and the pipeline is not tested before use, resulting in the rapid expansion of the microcracks in the area where the residual stress of the pressure pipeline is concentrated due to vibration, and the overall failure of the pipeline in the accident section produces a physical explosion.
pesticide
Ningxia Ruitai Technology Co., Ltd. "7.1" methylamine storage tank explosion accident
On July 1, 2014, an explosion occurred in the N-(6-chloro-3-pyridylmethyl) methylamine storage tank of acetamiprid production workshop of Ningxia Ruitai Technology Co., Ltd., resulting in 4 deaths, 1 injury and direct economic loss of about 5 million yuan. The direct cause of the accident was that the N-(6-chloro-3-pyridylmethyl) methylamine in the storage tank was kept warm for a long time, and a polycondensation reaction occurred, and a large amount of heat and gas generated could not be discharged in time, resulting in an overpressure explosion of the container.
other
Hebei Huailai Great Wall Biochemical Engineering Co., Ltd. "7.22" large poisoning and suffocation accident
On July 22, 2019, a poisoning and suffocation accident occurred in the comprehensive sedimentation tank of the sewage treatment station of Huailai County Great Wall Biochemical Engineering Co., Ltd., Zhangjiakou City, Hebei Province, resulting in 5 deaths, 4 injuries and direct economic losses of 6.9 million yuan. The direct cause of the accident is: the operator violates the safety technical regulations, violates the rules and regulations to carry out dredging operations, and the toxic gases such as hydrogen sulfide in the sludge are released and escaped under the pumping and drainage operations and external agitation, and the toxic gases continue to accumulate due to the closure of the color steel room, and the human body causes casualties after excessive inhalation. The on-site personnel blindly rescued the accident without the situation being clear and not equipped with emergency rescue equipment and facilities, resulting in the expansion of the accident.
Henan Sanmenxia Yima Gasification Plant "7.19" major explosion accident
On July 19, 2019, an explosion occurred in the C air separation unit of the Yima Gasification Plant of Henan Gas Group in Sanmenxia City, Henan Province, killing 15 people and seriously injuring 16 others. The direct cause of the accident is that the leakage of the cold box of the air separation device is not dealt with in time, and the "sand explosion" occurs (the leakage of the air separation cold box will contain a large amount of cryogenic liquid in the pearlescent sand of the insulation layer, and when the cryogenic liquid evaporates sharply, the shell of the cold box is cracked, and the gas entrainment of pearlescent sand is sprayed out in large quantities), which then causes the collapse of the cold box, resulting in the rupture of the nearby 500m3 liquid oxygen storage tank, the rapid leakage of a large amount of liquid oxygen, and the explosion and combustion of surrounding combustibles under liquid oxygen or oxygen-rich conditions, resulting in a large number of casualties among the surrounding personnel.
Nanjing, Jiangsu Province "7.28" propylene pipeline leakage major deflagration accident
On July 28, 2010, a propylene deflagration accident occurred in Qixia District, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, killing 22 people and injuring 120 others. The direct cause of the accident was that in the process of leveling and demolishing the land on the site of the former plastic factory, the excavator dug through the underground propylene pipeline, resulting in the leakage of liquid propylene in the pipeline, and the leaked propylene evaporated and diffused, and then deflagrated in an open flame.
Dalian PetroChina International Storage and Transportation Co., Ltd. "7.16" particularly serious oil pipeline explosion and fire accident
On July 16, 2010, an explosion occurred in the crude oil tank farm of Dalian PetroChina International Storage and Transportation Co., Ltd., located in the Dalian Free Trade Zone of Liaoning Province, causing a large amount of crude oil to leak and cause a fire. As a result, some crude oil, pipelines and equipment were burned, and some of the crude oil leaked into the nearby sea and caused pollution. The accident caused 1 operator to be slightly injured and 1 missing; In the process of extinguishing the fire, one firefighter died, one was seriously injured, and the direct property loss was 220 million yuan. The direct cause of the accident was that when the oil tanker stopped unloading after the unloading operation, the service provider Shanghai Xiangcheng Company continued to add a large amount of desulfurization agent (the main component is hydrogen peroxide) to the unloading pipeline, resulting in the local enrichment of the desulfurization agent in the oil pipeline section near the dosing port and the exothermic reaction, causing the explosion of the oil pipeline, the leakage of crude oil, and the fire.
Taiwan's Kaohsiung Huayun Storage Company's "7.31" pipeline leakage is a particularly serious explosion accident
On July 31, 2014, propylene leakage occurred in the pipeline of Huayun Storage Company in Kaohsiung City, Taiwan, and at 0:00 on August 1, there was a trench propylene gas explosion, killing 30 people and injuring 302 people. The direct cause of the accident was that the pipeline corroded and thinned for many years, and the pipeline ruptured under pressure, resulting in the leakage of propylene and the explosion of the fire source.
(2) Accidents abroad
Fire and explosion of an oil storage tank in Kansas, USA
On July 17, 2007, 11 residents and 1 firefighter were injured when naphtha was being transported from a tanker truck to the tank at the Barton solvent plant in Kansas, USA, and about 6,000 residents were evacuated. The causes of the accident may be: the top of the tank contains a flammable combustible gas-air mixture; When the delivery to the storage tank is stopped, the air friction in the conveying pipe and sediment can quickly accumulate a large amount of static electricity in the storage tank; During the injection of naphtha, the floats of the level measurement system inside the tank generate electrical sparks due to the loose structure.
Chlorine leak at the Baton Rouge chemical plant in Louisiana, USA
On July 20, 2003, a chlorine cooler at Honeywell International's chemical plant in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA, failed, causing chlorine to leak into the refrigerant system, and then the system's safety safeguards failed, chlorine leaked into the atmosphere, and the entire plant was evacuated, injuring seven workers and sheltering residents within 0.5 miles. The cause of the accident was that there were no measures in the plant management system to prevent the failure of the chlorine cooler, and the consequences of chlorine entering the refrigerant system were not adequately assessed for safety.
Chemical contamination accident in Seveso, Italy
On July 10, 1976, a sudden explosion occurred in the TBC (1,2,3,4-tetrachlorobenzene) plus alkali hydrolysis reactor of the Ixesa chemical plant near the city of Severso, Italy, and the intermediate trichlorophenol escaped, which contained the highly toxic chemical dioxin, causing about 2 tons of chemicals to spread to the surrounding area. Thousands of residents around the plant suffered from symptoms such as heat rash, headache, diarrhoea and vomiting, and the residents of Severso were not evacuated from the area until more than two weeks after the spill. The cause of the accident was that due to the uncontrolled exothermic reaction and the excessive pressure, the safety valve failed and exploded, and the chemical substances, including reaction raw materials, products, and dioxin impurities, spread about 6 km downwind with a southeast wind speed of 5 m/s, and settled into an area of about 1,810 acres. In response to this accident, in June 1982 the European Community issued the Directive on the Risk of Major Accidents in Industrial Activities (82/501/EEC), known as the Cerveso Directive.
