Fertilizer plant in Texas blows up

[The Violator]

Anyone have in first hand info?

DISASTER: EMS Director Says as Many as 70 People Feared Dead in Texas Fertilizer Plant Explosion (See the Terrifying Video) | Video | TheBlaze.com

[The Violator]

I know industrial accidents happen, but I wonder how long it will take before someone takes credit for this.

[Duuuuuuuude]

Holy shit. Mushroom clouds are never good.

Most likely just a terrible accident.

[TEDROCKZ]

That video

[Frankenwheely]

And I thought I had a bad day at work. That sucks.

[THX_138]

Ban Fertilizer Plants !!!!!

[XJkid93]

Very sad, wish things like this just never happened

[Badd]

Sending my thoughts and support out to the city of West, Texas. The victims, their friends and families, and all those who have been affected by this tragedy .

[BJoe]

Originally Posted by Duuuuuuuude

Holy shit. Mushroom clouds are never good.

Most likely just a terrible accident.

I'm thinking that too, they've been talking about an even worse explosion during WW2 that killed hundreds and leveled most, if not all of the port community it happened in

Originally Posted by THX_138

Ban Fertilizer Plants !!!!!

I thought there had been talk in the mid 90's about no longer allowing this particular type fertilizer to be made after the Oklahoma City Bombing since it worked so well as an explosive.

[THX_138]

Fertilizer plants, wood processing plants that produce large amounts of fine sawdust and many other industrial situations have explosions nearly every day somewhere throughout the US.
Some very serious with many fatalities and some swept under the rug as common occurrences
But happen regularly either way... But once something like the Boston Marathon Massacre, or 9/11 happens these situations are brought to the forefront and used for media food.

I feel completely comfortable the fertilizer plant was nothing more then a common industrial accident with ZERO ulterior motives.

There is a factory not far from me that manufactures wood pellets for pellet stoves and the place literally blows up at least once a month and has serious flash fires consistently. When they first opened they were shut down all the time by the fire marshal and town inspectors, but they found all legal required safety measures were in place and they met all industry safety standards.
When the super fine sawdust is heavy in the air around a 3-phase electric motor at start up.... BLAMMO!!! I guess that fine sawdust suspended with air is even more flammable then gasoline fumes around the armature spark of an electric motor at start-up.





.

[BJoe]

It's the same for grain, corn, and flower (white powdery type) when in silos, if the explosions don't get you, the occasional liquefaction will.

[gunnar]

Originally Posted by BJoe

I'm thinking that too, they've been talking about an even worse explosion during WW2 that killed hundreds and leveled most, if not all of the port community it happened in

Port Chicago disaster - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I'm actually about 5 miles away as I type this.


There was a rocket fuel plant that went up about 15-20 years ago somewhere? That was a real big one.

Found it- Pepcon explosion, Henderson, NV. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZOPP4ZBgnoA

[BJoe]

There had been one in Texas around that time too
Texas City Disaster - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[JeremyH]

I hope for the best of this small town. My family used to drive through there on our way to visit family and we'd stop at that Czech Deli and Kolache shop pictured in the article on every trip....my dad loved that place.

[swezy207]

Industrial plants are a very dangerous place to work/live around. People are human, mistakes will be made. I work at a chemical plant that has blown up twice in the past, in 1989... We actually had quite a scare last year as we were struck by lightning 26 times within 3 seconds of each other. The plant lost power and our storage tank of Ethylene began to over pressure. A 1.5 mile radius was evacuated around the plant in case of an explosion. Luckily we got the pressure under control by using a portable flare, boy was that a tense day. We were literally minutes away from evacuating the plant.

Anyway, I think it was just an accident. My heart goes out to those affected.

[ghtpdm5]

agreed that it was most likely a terrible accident. seeing first hand the destructive power that ammonium nitrate fertilizers pack, it is a very scary thing. combine that with fine particulate in the air, and human nature, it is a terrible thing. when i was a kid, we had a grain elevator blow. the fires could be seen from my porch 10 miles away, and we could hear the explosion. a simple spark is all that it took.

and as far as this type of fertilizer being banned, never going to happen. it does exactly what is needed to nourish crops. even then, there are factories that produce industrial AN and those are needed for various industries including mining.

pray for the fallen and injured, and those that work in hazardous industrial facilities, stay safe.

[cartronicshn]

that video, it sent chills up my spine, my prayers go out those families involved in such a tragic event

[Peaker]

I remember the pepcon disaster, mainly due to the huge explotion and good video covrage

I have personally been "blown" out of a paintbooth while powdercoating, and many forms of powders are explosive in the right powder to air mixture.
At same company i put out a fire in a bus sized curring oven ( owners used for hardening waste powder before throwing it out )

You do NOT put waste polyester and epoxy powder in a cardbord box and then put it in a 200 deg C oven lycky for the firm i am allso educated in firefighting and had everything under control before the firedepartment got there.

Saved ther huge new curring oven and paintbooth that day,and dident even get a THX for it

[RANOVRU]

I apollogize for my last post. Im not quite sure why given the many other much more brazefull posts that are made, but I make no contest. I see Jeremys post was deleted too so obviously this is a sensitive subject for a particualr mod.

As an effort at a second try, an apollogy and something halfway worthwhile; the vid was crazy. Until THX explained I really had no idea this could happen at a industrial processing plants with such magnatude. I worked at a job today less than 10 miles from a HUGE paper processing plant. We stopped at a hardees for lunch that was 1-2 football fields away from all of the big scary structures. It definately made me think what if....

[EeePee]

Originally Posted by RANOVRU

I apollogize for my last post. Im not quite sure why given the many other much more brazefull posts that are made, but I make no contest. I see Jeremys post was deleted too so obviously this is a sensitive subject for a particualr mod.

You haven't posted in this thread prior and no posts have been deleted.