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CASE STUDY RELEASED ON PREVENTING RUNAWAY REACTIONS
Release Date: 08/26/99
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FOR RELEASE: THURSDAY, AUGUST 26, 1999
CASE STUDY RELEASED ON PREVENTING RUNAWAY REACTIONS
As a result of an accident investigation of the Sept. 10, 1997, explosion in a resins production unit at Georgia-Pacific Resins Inc. in Columbus, Ohio, EPA is issuing a case study to highlight the need to address potential hazards and consequences of reactive systems. The case study focuses on phenol-formaldehyde reactions, which are common industrial-used processes to produce phenolic resins found in adhesives, coatings and molding compounds. The manufacture of phenolic resins has resulted in a number of incidents dating back to 1957. The Georgia-Pacific explosion is an example of what can happen when a runaway reaction occurs during this manufacturing process. The 1997 explosion killed one worker and injured four others and caused substantial damage to the facility. This case study discusses lessons learned from the accident investigation and identifies steps that facilities should undertake to prevent recurrence of similar events. For a copy of the case study entitled, “How to Prevent Runaway Reactions, Case Study: Phenol-Formaldehyde Reaction Hazards,” visit EPA’s web page at: https://www.epa.gov/ceppo or call the Emergency Planning and Community Right to Know hotline at 1-800-424-9346 or 703-412-9810.
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