This report examines the catastrophic vessel failure and fire that occurred on March 4, 1998, near Pitkin, Louisiana, at an oil and gas production facility owned by Sonat Exploration Company. Four workers were killed in the incident. The root causes of the incident are identified, and recommendations are made concerning engineering and design management systems and the development of good-practice guidelines. The Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) is an independent federal agency whose mission is to ensure the safety of workers and the public by preventing or minimizing the effects of chemical incidents. The CSB is a scientific investigative organization; it is not an enforcement or regulatory body. Established by the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990, the CSB is responsible for determining the root and contributing causes of accidents, issuing safety recommendations, studying chemical safety issues, and evaluating the effectiveness of other government agencies involved with chemical safety. No part of the conclusions, findings, or recommendations of the CSB relating to any chemical incident may be admitted as evidence or used in any action or suit for damages arising out of any matter mentioned in an investigation report. See 42 U.S.C. § 7412(r)(6)(G). The CSB makes public its actions and decisions through investigation reports, summary reports, safety studies, safety recommendations, special technical publications, and statistical reviews. More information about the CSB may be found on the World Wide Web at http://www.chemsafety.gov.

This investigation report examines a vessel explosion that occurred on April 11, 2003, at D. D. Williamson & Co., Inc., in Louisville, Kentucky. The explosion caused a massive release of aqua ammonia. Twenty-six residents were evacuated, and 1,500 people were sheltered in place. This report identifies the root and contributing causes of the incident and makes recom- mendations on overpressure protection, hazard evaluation sys- tems, layers of protection, and operating procedures and training. The U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) is an independent Federal agency whose mission is to ensure the safety of workers, the public, and the environment by investigat- ing and preventing chemical incidents. CSB is a scientific investi- gative organization; it is not an enforcement or regulatory body. Established by the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990, CSB is responsible for determining the root and contributing causes of accidents, issuing safety recommendations, studying chemical safety issues, and evaluating the effectiveness of other govern- ment agencies involved in chemical safety. No part of the conclusions, findings, or recommendations of CSB relating to any chemical incident may be admitted as evidence or used in any action or suit for damages arising out of any matter mentioned in an investigation report (see 42 U.S.C. § 7412 [r][6][G]). CSB makes public its actions and decisions through investigation reports, summary reports, safety bulletins, safety recommendations, case studies, incident digests, special technical publications, and statistical reviews. More information about CSB may be found at www.csb.gov

Prepare yourself for disasterstart with Michael I. Greenbergs new reference, Disaster! A Compendium of Terrorist, Natural, and Man-Made Catastrophesthe most current information on historically destructive events available! This single resource offers a comprehensive overview of significant historical man-made and environmental toxicological incidents. Written by an expert in the field, Disaster! A Compendium of Terrorist, Natural, and Man-Made Catastrophes teaches readers about the numerous man-made incidents resulting from occupational or industrial accidents that have led to environmental contamination, illness, and death.

Encyclopedia of Terrorist, Natural, and Man-Made Disasters is the first and only reference compiling all major toxicological incidents, both man-made and environmental in nature. Many of the man-made incidents resulting from occupational or industrial accidents have also led to environmental contamination, illness, and death for a great number of victims. Now for the first time, these occurrences with hazardous material are documented in a single index -- Encyclopedia of Terrorist, Natural, and Man-Made Disasters. An ideal resource for emergency physicians, EMS professionals, public health professionals, and toxicologists, this encyclopedia describes incidents that can be traced through history. Each event has been researched and reference citations are included. With over 1200 entries, the entire encyclopedia can be searched by source, date, or type of disaster! Book includes a CD-ROM!