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Two Die in Chemical Plant Explosion and Fire

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

More items for Program/Project Management

Two workers died in an explosion and fire at a Louisville, Ky., chemical plant at 5:30 p.m. Monday afternoon, according to the Louisville Courier Journal.

The first fatality, Steven Nichols, 59, died in the explosion on Monday at Carbide Industries. The second man, Jorge Medina, 56, died on Tuesday at the burn unit of Louisville University Hospital with third-degree burns on over 90 percent of his body.

The explosion and fire occurred in a 5-story building where calcium carbide is manufactured. A very large furnace inside the building, occupying two stories and operating at 3800 F, appeared to be the source of the explosion, according to Firehouse.com, although the cause of the explosion is not yet known.

David R. Lutman, Louisville Courier Journal

Two additional injured workers were treated and released overnight. The fire was not controlled until Tuesday morning.

Details about the explosion and fire can be found here. 

Comment from Jack Henley, (3/24/2011, 8:18 AM)

Another case of management pushing the envelope!! They can make more by paying for the people that die than by losing the product. e.g. B.P Gulf of Mexico. Put it to the test?

Comment from yedesha L, (3/29/2011, 12:54 AM)

As we all know there are many hazardous chemicals present in a chemical plant site that can affect workers and the environment once chemical spills happens. An explosion in Louisville chemical plant has left two dead and 2 injured. The carbide plant isn't considered especially dangerous. Nevertheless, the fire continues to burn, controlled, at the plant. A system the city set up to warn residents of industrial accidents should have been tripped. Two failures, however, meant that the warning program did not function.