CSB Announces Release of New HCl Release Safety Video

Yesterday, the Chemical Safety Board (CSB) announced [added link, 10-18-24 07:00 EDT] the release of their latest safety video dealing with the November 13, 2020 release of hydrogen chloride at a chemical manufacturing facility in Charleston, Tennessee. The CSB released their final report on that incident in June of 2023. That report noted (pg 7) that:

“The location of the release and the workers’ inability to clearly see their surroundings in the white cloud created by the releasing HCl prevented all the workers from being able to access the staircase to exit the platform. To escape from the HCl release, three of the contractor workers who were not wearing full-body chemical-resistant suits began climbing down piping on the side of the structure, located approximately 70 feet above the ground. While attempting to climb down, all three workers fell to the ground. One worker was fatally injured from the fall, and the other two sustained serious injuries.”

The video looks at the causes of the chemical leak and shows what, according to the investigation, happened during the incident, and identified four safety issues involved in the release and resulting response.