Houston chemical plant explosion injures one
05 March 2013
An explosion at the Akzo Nobel Polymer Chemicals plant in La Porte, Houston, triggered flames and heavy smoke that hospitalised one worker with burns on March 4. Although local fire teams were on hand, the plant’s internal response team was able to bring the fire under control in under an hour.
Jeff Suggs, Emergency Coordinator with the City of La Porte, said no shelter-in-place orders were issued for residents of the surrounding communities, but the neighbouring plants did shelter their workers as a precaution.
An Akzo Nobel spokesperson said magnesium oxide was the material burning, and called it a non-harmful nuisance dust. Eighty to ninety people were working at the plant. They remained on site during the incident and awaited the all-clear to return to work.
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