Animation of Explosion at PCA's DeRidder, Louisiana, Pulp and Paper Mill

Animation detailing the events of the February 8, 2017, explosion at the Packaging Corporation of America's DeRidder, Louisiana, pulp and paper mill

[@matthewerwin4677]

I worked with the welder killed in this accident. A good guy. R.I.P. Sedrick Stallworth. AKA "Cadillac".

[@medicbabe2ID]

Godspeed 🇺🇸

[@SFbayArea94121]

Matthew Erwin Rip Escalade 🚐

[@johnballs1352]

@@SFbayArea94121 Rip Buick

[@baylenthedogg3242]

@Alan Fitzgerald this is fucked up but made me laugh lol

[@baylenthedogg3242]

@@johnballs1352 this is fucked up but made me laugh lol

[@IAm18PercentCarbon]

USCSB Drinking Game: * A vapor cloud forms * Plant management doesn't follow safety procedures * A worker opens a valve they shouldn't have * Someone silences an alarm * A storage tank explodes * The one thing that could have prevented a problem was broken for years * A runaway exothermic reaction occurs * Someone notices the problem but does nothing EDIT: Judging by the comments, also: * Someone plays the USCSB drinking game

[@greensheen8759]

IAm18PercentCarbon there's gonna have to be a uscsb animation detailing my death by alcohol poisoning then

[@anthonypatterson5061]

You forgot the "employee overrides software".

[@PremiumFuelOnly]

-Lack of communication/improper labeling. -A worker enters a confined space or starts welding before testing for dangerous conditions.

[@dustinshort6207]

Fir this video= "foul condensate tank"

[@johnnywaffles2482]

Absolutely HAMMERED in 3 videos

[@matthewfindley5530]

I'm amazed that these companies can just lose track of the purpose of significant parts of their infrastructure. 'Hey Joe what's that big tank so' 'I don't remember... Something with turpentine, but it hasn't exploded in months so it's probably good'

[@Gilbertmk2]

Matthew Findley You gotta remember companies are made up of people and people lose track of stuff unless there are good systems out in place to prevent those mistakes.

[@matthewfindley5530]

Gilbert oh no doubt. This definitely looks like a system/corporate failure from the videos pov rather then some individual's screw up. But how can they not have a system in place for this? Who's job is it to put gas in the trucks? Yeah who knows.... But confusion over who runs a probably expensive machine that prevents the build up of explosive vapors??? That seems like the kind of thing that gets written down.

[@dev0random]

Sorry, the boss wants me to write daily status reports. Usually takes me half the day to do, so I don't have time to track all this stuff, you know? Also, we don't hire secretaries anymore, they cost too much.

[@mitchwalrus]

Nobody says "why is this valve closed?" and then get "not my job" in return. People who internally believe "not my job" or just plain don't notice it collectively do nothing and say nothing for months or even years without incident. New people get brought in and trained without mention of the valve or its purpose. Then something like this happens and the answers that come from it sound much more damning than the actual intent going into it. Humans are dumb, and without a rigorously managed plant you end up with this kind of stuff too frequently. The more people involved the worse it gets because "surely someone is in charge of it", and you never open a random valve without telling anyone. Closed is supposed to be safer than open, usually. If it was supposed to be open it would be carsealed. That's why management of unusual tasks such as hot work is so critical. There can always be "landmines" hidden that were fine under operating conditions for months, but then someone brought an ignition source into the picture and now all bets are off. Hot work in a plant like this should be Defcon 1 for fires and explosions. But it's typically treated as Defcon 3.

[@monkeyjuju7441]

Agreed. The fact something like that can be overlooked for months is pretty crazy to me, but at the same time with a huge company with three shifts with responsibilities spread across them, something that is done infrequently can easily be forgotten about especially if you think someone else took care of it then by the time it's due to be checked again I guess it could be easy to forget. I always just figure people who work in environments like this use as much caution as the places I've worked, but that's not always the case.

[@zygomorphiskool]

Love the narrator's voice. He creates a very suspenseful aura. KEEP HIM!

[@somethingsomething404]

zygomorphiskool I'm pretty sure they kidnapped him from the history or discovery channel lol

[@Phoen1x883]

Kalvin N Is it _really_ kidnapping if they want to leave? ...I wonder how many lists saying that just put me on.

[@TomOConnor-BlobOpera]

Really? Text to Speech has come a long way from automated train station announcements!

[@EoRdE6]

Reminds me of the British Thomas the tank engine narrator

[@EoRdE6]

mcgherkinstudios completely untrue

[@COBOB188]

"...These assumptions were, however, incorrect."

[@TheMrKeksLp]

The professional version of "It was at this moment he knew... He fucked up"

[@denispol79]

@@TheMrKeksLp "Assumption is a mother of all f#ckups"

[@melvinmariott8609]

That's the only tank that should have been off to the side of the planet away from the planet.

[@liamc1102]

@@melvinmariott8609 Planet? Or Plant?

[@ferdrewflores3014]

👍😆

[@burdizdawurd1516Official]

Compared to animations from 10 years ago, the CSB has concluded that the CSB is responsible for incredible animations of industrial accidents. The CSB made the following recommendations: The CSB should continue to investigate industrial accidents. The CSB animators and that narrator who has been narrating CSB videos for the past ten years should be paid more. The KZbin Notification Squad has gained a new member- moi.

[@flamingtoaster8707]

The CSB should be given more money (Directly from peasants or from peasant run government) for videos The CSB shouldn't be shut down by Capn Molten Orange

[@greenyawgmoth]

Read this in his voice, A+ 11/10

[@pyrotechnick420]

Wait shit, im a 3d artist should I apply to work at CBS? lol

[@davilathegreat]

P Y R O T E C H N I C K Kinda late, since Trump is looking to kill it.

[@kingjames4886]

it's no avatar, but pretty good for budget animations.

[@Ozlizardking]

Basically upper management fired somebody who new what they were doing. Then they blamed the failure on the person they replaced him with.

[@illbeyourmonster1959]

Been in a few places that had that problem and everyone knew but nobody with any authority cared to do anything about it. Original operator A had 20 years experience and gave his replacement a mostly adequate 2 year train in then retired. Operator B did his best then found a better job and gave his replacement a 6 month train in barely leaving him functional. Operator C got sick of the stress and the company refusing to give him the proper training he needed so he bailed and the next nearest semi competent guy who worked with him had maybe 1 month of working knowledge of the process. Management still hung original operator A certifications documents in the public waiting room and just told customers " He was out" whenever they asked for him, because product quality was shit due to nobody knowing WTF they were doing.

[@moalboris239]

@@illbeyourmonster1959 I always love the good old fashioned manager musical chairs game. Get someone new into the manager job wait until they make a mistake no matter how small. Then fire them on the spot for say messing up some obscure paper work after six months on the job. Then hire the next guy and rinse and repeat so none of your managers actually have time to understand how the plant is operating and where the problems are coming from. After doing so say it is because "He didn't reach the companies goals." When the goals was fixing everything that is going wrong because they keep firing all the managers.

[@jamesgresham351]

2it 2e re 3 3 referreferees 4ea tdhrjsw4 r 4 the44 33wnew rdrelationships e44e442v. 4@@illbeyourmonster1959in re 4re 443 ethewew

[@jamesgresham351]

@@illbeyourmonster1959 4yerr c 7⁴5e8y23 yery5 CRT r6t655555 yetegy4hynhi 3

[@GangStarr4life96]

Now take that same analysis and apply it to 2021’ scamdemic

[@Tara_Li]

This was a hell of an event for this small town. We heard it in the Parish Library halfway across town, roughly 5 miles straight line, inside the building. PCA is a major employer for the town - you work there, know someone who works there, or know someone who knows someone who works there. There was much nail biting and calling to check on people.

[@loganbrown8653]

nice to hear from someone who was there

[@bigpapi3636]

Any hot work in a facility that has flammables anywhere at all should be contained by welding blankets. Pipes, tanks and even the ground should be covered . A roll of fire blanket is cheap insurance when the alternative is injury or as in this case loss of life. In my opinion a safety person from the plant should have been at the hot work site and immediately stopped the work when slag and sparks were obviously not contained.

[@dev0random]

Oh, you know common sense stuff. There's no common sense at these places anymore.

[@mitchwalrus]

Exactly. In this case the lack of a flammable atmosphere shouldn't be misconstrued as the lack of an atmosphere that could become flammable. The external reach of hot work should never be ignored. Blankets to contain the sparks/slag and proper de-energization of tools would have prevented this from a procedural standpoint even if the foul water tank condition wasn't discovered through competent management of the hazards it could pose.

[@bigpapi3636]

mitchwalrus Two good points. The reach of hot hot shouldn't be underestimated and if there are any flammables in the system they can show up where not expected. Also, plant safety have to be right on contract workers asses to work safely. It's amazing how they show up without PPE and are oblivious to obvious hazards.

[@chloralhydrate]

... very good points. You can also identify another factor, that accidents on these videos have in common - contract workers. From my experience, when only the "local" workers are involved, flow of information of what should or should not be done, and how, and when it should be done is much better - the contractors often lack the information that certain things in the chemical plants can be dangerous. I wonder if it was not cheaper to employ a permanent squad of maintenence workers / construction workers at the plant (as it is often done at larger plants in europe - where I come from), than risk with the contractors. Because I guess, that this is a typical expample of outsourcing gone wrong...

[@bigpapi3636]

chloralhydrate Yeah, good call. At the major refineries, chemical facilities, etc I go through a safety orientation but it's not a replacement for the "tribal knowledge" that's required to work in total safety. And the contractor is really dependent on the knowledge aand safety awareness of the local staff at that point. I had an electrical contractor killed in a fall when he arced a breaker that was close to built up carbon fiber dust that accumulated on the breaker box over years of grinding in the area. He was on a ladder and the flash fire blew him off. No safety harness but also no awareness by the staff. The hazard should have been recognized but not by the contractor. Our guys didn't prepare the contractor for the potential hazards. Not saying the guy wasn't partially at fault or that contractors are sloppy when it comes to safety but I have shut down contractor work in the past for lack of PPE, poor procedure, etc. Safety, maintenance and engineering should be represented to monitor contractor work especially in an area where a hazard could be present.

[@TheMattc999]

"The company also assumed the tank contained mostly water, was sealed off from the atmosphere, and did not post a safety risk..." That is an awful lot of assuming, even more so considering the materials involved and the type of work being done.

[@Luckingsworth]

There were almost no reasons to ever assume otherwise. It would be like assuming a water bottle from the store was water and leaving it next to your oven only for it to explode. There was no reason for it ever to be explosive like that. Along the way a critical failure occured by an important step being skipped for months. It often happens when tasks are taken up by workers without proper delegation. And when that worker leaves no one knows the task was being undertaken by him.

[@marvinkitfox3386]

@@Luckingsworth Correction. It more like assuming that propane tank you put next to your oven was safe, because you figured it was empty. The wastewater tank in that factory was *known* to contain a flammable material, the only assumption was as to the quantity involved. Even without the drainoff valve being closed, there *still* would have been a flammable atmosphere in the tank. The only difference would have been that the explosion would have been that of several gallon of turpentine, instead of several tons as the case was. It. would.Still.Have.Exploded! The explosive situation was cause NOT by the large amount of turpentine in there, but by the very fact of tank plumbing shutdown for the repairs. The tank cooled, sucked in oxygen, and its mix became flammable. The accident happened because they authorized hot work over a flammable storage, and did not implement suitable countermeasures.

[@RoryStarr]

Especially given how easy it is to actually check the real conditions in the tank rather than just figure it's probably fine.

[@DarkFilmDirector]

@@Luckingsworth You're right, there was no reason they shouldn't assume that grinding and welding above a turpentine container without even so much as a safety blanket would be dangerous.

[@danielebrparish4271]

@@DarkFilmDirector Contract welders have to rely on the plant's operators to know what all those tanks, valves and pipes are used for and how to make them safe for work. The contractor is paid to weld some pipe that belongs to a company. This accident may not have happened if the plant's operator or safety inspector had a check list to use. Pilots use one to start the engines, they then ask for permission to push off and taxi. They ask permission to cross a runway. They use a checklist to prepare for takeoff; they wait for permission to take off. They ask permission to change altitude and direction. They ask permission to land, they use a check list to prepare to land. They ask permission to taxi to the terminal and ask permission to go to the gate. Then they use a checklist to shut the engines and other equipment down. Industrial plants are just as complicated as a jet liner. They need a SOP book for all new hires and a checklist for their daily activities just as much as they do for maintenance procedures. e.g. Remove the oil, remove the filter, lube the filter seal before installation, tighten the filter, add the oil; check the oil level, run the machine and inspect the filter and drain valve for leaks; stop the engine; check the oil level and top off is necessary; clean up any spillage; dispose of the used oil and filter according to environmental procedures.

[@BuddyLee23]

Man I wish there was a CSB equivalent in China that made videos like this. I imagine they would have plenty of content to work with.

[@nil525]

Of course they wouldn't! China is renown for having the greatest occupational health and safety record in the modern world! If you disagree you're charged with crimes against the state, because the state wouldn't lie about a thing like that!

[@TheLouisianan]

When I was a mason, these Chinese guys at our site were using electric grinders and the cords were submerged in muddy puddles. We were all amazed none of them got electrocuted to death.

[@markmark5269]

Lived and been involved in industry in China for 15 years, you wouldn't know shit, but keep on racial profiling, because you read it on the internet right? China is the world's largest manufacturer, employing 138 million people, compared to the USA's 18 million people, so the probability of have more industrial accidents is of course higher. I however see that because of lower safety standards, Chinese workers are way more aware of their environment than dickheads I have worked with for decades in Australia who are brain dead because of all the safety around them numbing their brains. not their fault, just bad conditioning from their cotton wool environment. The irony here with the 3 posts is that you are all bagging out another country while watching a series on very serious industrial accidents in your own country, I mean, what the fuck? You're just totally ignorant to your own country's failings, so need to point elsewhere to try to feel better about yourselves ....

[@sup2069]

@@markmark5269 #triggered

[@tubester4567]

@@markmark5269 The comment about China was done by a Chinese guy. The only reason we're talking about China is because a Chinese guy wrote a comment about China.

[@johnanders8861]

Hats off to the new animation crew, give them a nice big raise

[@ladyrazorsharp]

My dad, grandpa, and several uncles were all welders and pipefitters when I was growing up. Watching these videos make me so, so glad that they all came home every night. Dad used to tell me grisly stories about people getting hurt and I worried for him. He said that I didn’t need to worry because people only got hurt when they were being stupid. He was right, whether it was workers themselves or the corporations they worked for…

[@davisjames8484]

The production value of these videos continue to improve. From the narrator to the score to the animation, these are just unbelievably addicting.

[@crcpeart]

impeccable production. Congratulations to all, I hope your hard work helps save lives. My condolences to all affected by the incident.

[@david26906]

Thanks CSB you guys are the only government organization that doesn't seem to have any real corruption. It's a shame your recommendations are ignored most of the time.

[@ericlotze7724]

I now see some lobbyist talking about the USCSB's "DEEPSTATE AGENDA to um...make people....um SAFER" (Throws money from chemical/petrolium/gas company)

[@MegaDysart]

@@ericlotze7724 not everybody who criticizes government regulations is an oil money banker shill lol

[@ChangedMyNameFinally69]

@@MegaDysart Instead they're dumbass bootlickers who think corporations should have unlimited power

[@MegaDysart]

@@ChangedMyNameFinally69 yeah theres no middle ground with you people is there? Massive corporations work with massive government to fuck us in the ass and you're busy playing red team blue team. How about no to big tyrannical governments AND to mega corporations spying on us and paying off our politicians for favors?

[@ChangedMyNameFinally69]

@@MegaDysart So no capitalism? Guess what the GOP is trying to preserve...

[@stevengill1736]

Having worked with many hazmats in the chemical industry, I've always appreciated the work of the CSB and their excellent videos. They have no doubt saved many lives through their efforts. Thanks to them and the many workers who usually handle dangerous materials safely....

[@steamboy101]

That "six story structure" is the Recovery Boiler. A direct hit there would not have gone well.

[@gomphrena-beautifulflower-8043]

My husband was a Recovery Boiler operator for many years at the Tennessee mill. I’m glad he’s now retired and away from there!

[@steamboy101]

@@gomphrena-beautifulflower-8043 Congrats on your husband’s retirement! Fortunately the safety systems are better than they have ever been for recovery boilers. Still, bad things can still happen. They certainly deserve respect!

[@gomphrena-beautifulflower-8043]

@@steamboy101 • Thank you so much! You are right about safety improvements over the years. Again, thanks and God bless!

[@macsdestroypcs]

2:21 "The liquid was left in the tank partially because there were no plans to work directly on the tank during the outage." 5:03 *Dudes working directly on top of the thing*

[@Pauly421]

Yeah wtf was that about which was it???

[@goinham9469]

@@Pauly421 not working directly on the tank itself despite working directly on top of it working on something else.

[@Aranimda]

02:29 Don't make assumptions. They're deadly.

[@BIGBLOCK5022006]

TheMagnificentZoltar Assumptions are the mother of all fuck ups.

[@giraffewithtattoos2770]

You know what they say about assumptions; they make an ass out of U and mptions.

[@FSEVENMAN]

TheMagnificentZoltar I assume you're correct

[@traingunner]

LOL

[@craftpaint1644]

True, never trust to luck.

[@mikewest712]

And that kids is why you always hire a contractor, to save money on your insurance, workmans compensation,and osha rating.

[@bereanmcmichael8947]

You mean hire union*

[@Tre16]

@@bereanmcmichael8947 lmao

[@edwelndiobel1567]

Actually sighed out loud when he said all casualties were contractors. Phew, that was close.

[@RichTapestry]

This view is a sickness.

[@bdoug5316]

All big companies outsource for that reason you are correct. They can use the contractors insurance to fix their buildings and equipment as well.

[@somethingsomething404]

I can't believe I'm actually in the CSB "notification squad" Just got way too excited for a new video lol

[@NitroAuto77]

REPRESENT

[@JustinKoenigSilica]

GERMANY REPRESENTING, CALLING IN!

[@noahbolanowski5001]

its an exciting event for us

[@iaincowell9747]

Shut up

[@ffandrewd2986]

MINNESOTA USA REPRESENTING!

[@arceusmaster0480]

That's pretty scary. All bases should be covered and considered, especially around flammable substances. The fact that no one knew who would maintain the turpentine tank makes me wonder if other places are doing the same.

[@aprillsloof8542]

KasperAura you betcha

[@ADRIAAN1007]

What really bothers me is that this could have been avoided. No one knew who's responsibility it was to make sure the tank was free of flammable compounds, so nobody followed up on it. Someone should have made a supervisor or boss aware so that a worker was put in place to check these things and be held accountable.

[@bruhmomenthdr7575]

"What really bothers me is that this could have been avoided." Yeah, same goes for literally any other accident.

[@DL-fl5ul]

places like this are very hierarchel and order of chain. You do as told and never venture into areas directly outside your scope. Bringing up this to management as a newbie will get you laughed at or chewed out.

[@brofenix]

@4:52 that animation is so good o.O Wow! Seriously, the person here looks better than some video games and other places that use CGI characters. The 3-D model of the plant @0:08 is incredible as well!I'm very impressed by the animations in this video.

[@larrybrown5938]

My grandfather told me the time their company disregarded safety concerns and the plant he was at caught fire during a flood. He had to wade half a mile to shutdown one of the top pipes saving everyone in that county. He doesn't get recognized but deserves it.

[@lewiemcneely9143]

THANKS CSB! Always look forward to new ones. Sure hate it for the people involved.

[@TheJttv]

Lewie McNeely to think Trump wanted to get rid of this magnificent safety organization.

[@lewiemcneely9143]

THAT shows me that TRump isn't wrapped as tight as folks think he is. I still say it's same game, different players by this single act if nothing else. CSB is the 007 of accident investigation and get right down to the short hairs when something goes wrong. Maybe they find too many management flaws to suit him or get into the net profits too much by getting companies to correct FLAWS and save lives?? I always read the Fatalgrams at work and tried to take them to heart. CSB needs all the funding they can get. I know you can't fix downright stupid but they might help someone else from becoming a filler on an obit page.Thanks Jitty!

[@raymondleggs5508]

Donald trump is the White Van Speaker scam of presidents

[@lewiemcneely9143]

THink, Mr. Leggs. Has ANY such person ever REALLY done ANYTHING for you? I think I got a $20 check from one a long time ago. All I've seen is corruption and scandals all along. All they are are puppets. You can't be part of it UNLESS you're part of it. Can YOU get in the inner circle? I don't WANT anything to do with it and neither one of us can get within a million miles of it IF we have any scruples at ALL. Same game, different players, Pal. Wait and see. It's all scripted way ahead of time. We're made to think that we can really do something. All WE can do is scratch our head or whatever and be bewildered by the idiocy of it all. Take care!

[@mitchwalrus]

Lewie McNeely the CSB is one of the most important tools in the chemical processing industries tool belt for protecting employees and preventing critical business interruptions. We really are privileged to have such a rigorous group doing detailed analysis of industry failures so that everyone can learn quickly from the worst accidents this risk inherent business produces. To imagine that any group or administration would diminish its worth in any way is abhorrent.

[@Chemivarian]

These videos are amazingly well done. Keep up the great work. As a ChemE and some who spent years working at a refinery this puts any incident report from the company to shame. They explain the incidents incredibly well and I personally have been learning a lot from them. I also appreciate how well complex issues and lingo are explained for laymen.

[@brotherpanda3626]

To anyone out there about to go through Maintenance Day at their respective facilities, stay safe and alert out there.

[@pyrotechnick420]

I like watching these mostly because I work as a 3d artist lol EDIT: The model of this plant is so intricate, I'm impressed!

[@alexreeve]

really nice what you can do when you have access to the full drawings of the plant :)

[@LanceJoshlin]

It's fairly accurate too, i work there.

[@edwelndiobel1567]

How do they make all that stuff. Is it just like modeling in video games?

[@dyates6380]

Absolutely fascinating work on these simulations of these tragedies. My condolences to all affected, but my gratitude to the people who created these sad, but very interestingly innovative videos.

[@Incaensio]

These animations are incredible. Thank you for all of the detail.

[@amendopublicaccess5742]

Great Video guys. I think this Channel deserves many more views than it gets for the amount of work put into each video, as well as the educational value of your work. Keep it up!

[@melbournetransport8987]

After watching so many USCRB videos from years and years ago this video looks like Pixar quality animation

[@Xezlec]

Ikr? Look at that guy's face!

[@dogmakarma]

These informational packages are absolutely fantastic. Thank you!

[@neonbunnies9596]

Love how the captions are in all-caps so it feels like you're being yelled at but the voice says otherwise

[@Boogy816]

Man I don't know how I found this channel but I'm glad I did. Love these videos

[@andrewgc19881]

these animations must be so time consuming to make

[@Phoen1x883]

andrew campbell I've done some work in 3D modeling and animation, and I'd estimate this amount of content would take a month or two to create. That's on top of the time it took to build their library of generic assets (the worker, trees in the distance, things like that).

[@ronaldckrausejr7762]

There's even an app for that. Would take one person less than one week to accomplish this video. Get a real program such as Adobe; once the program is effectively learned (also the thousands of pages of reference material - an accredited program would take 41 semester hours of classwork = 2+ semesters) it would take even less time to generate such a video

[@PeterAlexanderWelch]

Who cares how long it takes if one person sees it then relates it to their workplace and stops an incident from happening then a huge thank you needs to go to these animators for there great work.

[@arbitrarylib]

Mhm

[@dharaneeshsonu7739]

Very informative video. As a person working in Pulp and Paper industry, these little information could prove vital for me to provide the industry with upgraded safety situations.

[@ViralCoreX7F]

Thank you for making these videos and studies public! Please keep doing what you are doing!

[@tobiasmacivey3525]

Watching many of these videos, the number of complicated, potentially volatile processes that make our modern life possible is incredible.

[@CheshireCad]

Yeah, that's the scary part about this video. Usually, these incidents are caused and exacerbated by a dozen different obvious problems, which took extreme negligence and incompetence to combine into a tragedy. "Let's just put these highly-reactive liquids in identical pipes/barrels, with nearly identical labels, right next to each other." But in this incident, everyone involved took very reasonable precautions. Yes, they were obviously insufficient, but that can only be said in hindsight, or possibly by an experienced and over-cautious professional. And the neglect of the tank, which is the most damnable issue, is exactly the sort of thing that happens at every workspace. We like to think that these tragedies only befall people and companies that "deserve it". But sometimes, the system of precautions needed to prevent them is far, far more complex than any of us would ever anticipate.

[@sallypowell5834]

"Sounds like" That's what happens when you fire the only guy in the company who could operate that equipment..

[@DawsonHarvey]

My dad who retired March of 2022 from pca in deridder was walking around the corner right before this happened and was 50 yards away and witnessed it all unfold. Lucky he was not closer. I'm am sorry for everyone who got hurt and my remorse to all the family members of the 3 men who were killed.

[@DawsonHarvey]

I vividly remember getting told by my teacher (i was in 3rd grade at the time) telling me there was a explosion at the mill and that my dad was okay.

[@hanovergreen4091]

Doing great work USCSB!!! Thank you from all of us who are safer because of your hard work! Best Regards.

[@noahbolanowski5001]

Insane graphics

[@NoName-gt5mc]

Love ya CSB! Ya help me more with my anxiety than than you'll likely ever appreciate!

[@NeoRipshaft]

Holy crap! I was not expecting that dramatic of an outcome, dang. Awesome and informative videos as always, thanks!

[@jessvagnar4957]

1) Great video, glad you guys are producing high quality content rapidly after the events. I'm looking forward to the mitigation section of the video.

[@jakebrodskype]

This reminds me about another CSB video on the Bethune Point Waste-Water Treatment plant. They were doing hot work over a methanol tank and sparks got through a poorly maintained flame arrester. Both incidents assumed that the contents of the tank were under reasonable control. Both were working over a vent that nobody expected would allow sparks inside. You'd think we'd have learned not to make such assumptions after the Bethune video, but sadly that's not the case.

[@noahbolanowski5001]

wasnt a valve this time though

[@craftpaint1644]

The welders probably didn't know what that tank was.

[@Sigouss]

Untested assumptions. Confusion who's responsible for the tank. More flammable liquid in the tank than anyone expected. Non-routine maintenance. Accident.

[@dav1dsm1th]

The quality of animation in your videos is outstanding.

[@arthurmark2013]

Love those videos and the narration! Keep up the good work! Lots of lives saved and lessons learned - I hope so.

[@brofenix]

Wow, it does seem like this was a difficult set of circumstances to notice, in my opinion. That one manual valve that was open near the Turpentine Tank was unnoticed and seemed unspoken of for a long time. I'm not sure I would have connected the dots and hypothesized that the Foul Condensate Tank could have a higher turpentine concentration than normal and could generate a flammable atmosphere. But if the company knew the Foul Condensate Tank held a small concentration of turpentine, a flammable compound, I think they could have made the tank pressured at atmospheric pressure with Nitrogen rather than Air, eliminating Oxygen from being in the tank and creating a flammable atmosphere.

[@tooloosemcfloof7143]

The animation of that tank leaving the ground is fucking comical. All I could hear when the tank hit that railing was "YEEET!"

[@p2p2p2p2p2p]

I laughed so hard

[@sabeerali5610]

Brilliant case study!!! Outstanding explanation

[@Wayoutthere]

Excellent quality video. This is how you make calm assessments and doc's.

[@echomjp]

The sad reality that this disaster required the company in question to make safety mistakes multiple times along the way in order for this to happen, is honestly what is really most disappointing about it. First, they allowed the turpentine to build up so greatly in the first place, despite that clearly being a potential hazard. Second, they allowed such a potentially hazardous material to come into contact with sufficient oxygen to become explosive. Third, they did not test the contents of the tank before issuing a permit, only the surrounding air. Fourth, even having tested the surrounding air, they did not take the obvious step of covering the tank to prevent any potential energy used in the welding from coming into contact with the tank. So by my count, that's a minimum of four separate mistakes that they had to make in order for this disaster to occur. How any operation of such a size can manage to make that many mistakes in a row when regarding basic safety is just mind-boggling. Contract workers expect that the companies that they work for are run by professionals that don't leave explosive materials next to their welding space without informing them, and for many of them to lose their lives due to this is quite unfortunate. Thank you for this animation. It was very well done, and informative.

[@KrK007]

It seems like all serious accidents always area chain of events that all combine to create the disaster. If at just one point in that chain, a different decision was made, the chain is broken and no accident occurs.

[@derekgray1633]

this series really catches what its like working industrial plants, i think most people just think they are perfectly ran with all new equipment but alot of what i would see would have me scratching my head, some things are not working at all or hardly maintained. some things are "rigged" to work a way they werent intended to or to keep them operational. sometimes the parts of the plant themself look rusted and deteriorated like tanks and pipes. hazerdous chemical fill valves installed directly next to one another. but hey the people who make the money from those choices hardly ever work at the plant itself. so eventually it will end up in one of these videos and then the money is spent to fix it.

[@swilliams937]

Easy channel to binge. Well done, USCSB.

[@mookalokka]

Solid animation and great work as always by the narrator ; excellent video highlighting the dangers of hot work in unknown environments.

[@garywatson]

I wonder if the PCA people supplied USCSB with a 3D cad model of the facility, which they imported into 3ds Max or something like that for texturing and animation. This level of detail would seem to exceed what is necessary for a report if you had to pay people to create it.

[@alowry2002]

I doubt it. This style of 3D rendering is typical of CSB videos.

[@alowry2002]

Another commentator below stated, "I suspect that the CSB's Root Cause Analysis involves modelling the accident 'in sillico' so generating an animation for public release is a fortunate side-product."

[@fallinginthed33p]

Andrew Lowry They modeled an entire plant in a 3D design package? I wonder if they went as far as getting processes modeled. The end result was pretty good, especially the lighting and background rendering.

[@MrPenguinLife]

@Syrian Hamster True but this plant was initially built in the 1960's when all of that would have been on paper

[@LanceJoshlin]

This model is fairly detailed, but I can tell you it's missing nearly 80% of what's actually there. Been in this mill for 20 years. I'm sure it was modeled from top down satellite images and video they got when they were investigating. No cad version of the mill exists that I'm aware of.

[@pizzafrenzyman]

Did the tank at the apex of its flight get picked up on air traffic radar?

[@DarkScarecrow22]

I love watching these videos whenever they get released. Its great information

[@ActingLikeABoss]

I was working at a substation about a mile down the road from this plant. It’s crazy that this popped up in my recommendations when I was passing this plant multiple times a day.

[@southernbreeze3278]

seems sparks getting drawn in through the low pressure relief valve could have done it

[@stephenmalone2314]

That's wat I was thinking

[@Sir_Uncle_Ned]

Ever seen a waste tank leap over a 6 storey building? The survivors have! In all seriousness, the power of that explosion taught that company a valuable lesson. Assuming makes an ass of u and me

[@zaphodbeeblebrox9491]

doggie015 Seriously lucky that thing didn't take out a lot more of their facility here

[@dylandarnell3657]

Foul Condensate Tank at 11:05: I MUST GO, MY PEOPLE NEED ME

[@penguin12902]

Assumption is the mother of all fuck ups.

[@Bryan-to6cq]

Another top-tier explanation from the CSB. Keep up the great work

[@XBloodyBaneX]

Man, these are surprisingly well animated...

[@Suburp212]

Thanks for still operating despite being despised bY the current government

[@andrewleatherman4931]

As my dad always said (and to this day is still right), “Andrew, what are the first three letters of assume?”...yeah don’t be that person, people die because of it

[@andrewb378]

Do you check to make sure your gas tank isn't leaking every time you get in your car? What if, one day, the tank is leaking gasoline vapors, you turn on the light in the garage, and the vapors explode? Is it your fault for assuming the airtight container that holds an extremely flammable substance hadn't failed? Is it your fault for assuming the light switch which is designed to never create a spark hadn't failed? Everyone everywhere makes assumptions every day. Some have a higher risk than others. I assume my alarm will go off every morning and always at the same time so I can go to work. If it fails, I'm late to work, not a big deal. I assume when I turn on my gas stove that the valve which keeps the gas out of my home is functioning properly as is the detector which would alert me if gas had leaked. If I'm wrong, I die, big deal.

[@dirtonknees2]

@@andrewb378 What a long, dumb response to the dude's comment lol. I'm so sick of you TROLLS

[@Distilledroutes]

Great video, very well explained. 👏👏

[@ThisHandleFeatureIsStupid]

Whoa, man. That animation/explanation combo was tops! :O

[@JustinKoenigSilica]

Ohhhh yes a new USCSB video

[@thirteen37rose]

Chem. Eng. Student at The University Of Kwa-Zulu Natal, South Africa. Writing Safety & Loss Prevention Exam tomorrow.

[@JB-kf9nn]

how did it go

[@samneal7679]

Good luck friend I hope you passed!

[@gomphrena-beautifulflower-8043]

My husband worked 29 years at the Tennessee plant in Recovery. Dangerous work; we lost several friends over the years. They just had a death two weeks ago. RIP all who died just trying to make a living.

[@LiquidAudio]

Another amazing video, thanks CSB!

[@apachedown9]

This not relevant to my work in any way but dang I'm subscribed

[@whynotanyting]

I know this is serious, but seeing the tank fly off screen had me in tears.

[@alextomahawk139]

These videos keep me vigilant at work.

[@snowrider5150]

I did industrial scaffolding at this and many paper mills when either boilers were shut down. Always worried something would happen but was fortunate enough to come out alive and safe.

[@R4zAI3am]

"There was confusion as to who was reponsible" in other words noone could be bothered to move their ass

[@sheepphic]

That, or person A thought person B was responsible while person B thought person A was responsible; genuine miscommunication is certainly a possibility

[@martijnvv8031]

Most likely, person A sits at a desk next to person B.... And person A doesn't like person B, because person B has gotten a bigger company car.

[@edwelndiobel1567]

"Not my fucking job! Plus its not my job to tell Joe about issues that he is suppose to take care of! Fuck him he's a dickhead anyway!" See?

[@andrewgc19881]

Also did it really take that path between the tower and the building?

[@Vsor]

I'd doubt they added it for 'cinematic value'

[@DarkRaptor99]

I want to know if that's what really happened too

[@DarkRaptor99]

I was going to make a football related joke but its not appropriate when Fatalities are involved

[@daviddavis5312]

I was there pretty close to what happened

[@LanceJoshlin]

Yeah it took out that cat walk. Landed in the structure pretty close to my shop.

[@Bugatti12563]

The tension that builds up while the narrator goes through all the events, incredible.

[@franklawski4640]

Excellent explanation, well done. Can learn allot from accident reconstruction like this one.

[@awesomotommy]

Awesome. My autistic viewing needs are met for today

[@phuturephunk]

5:52 Holy sh*t! No way??! NO WAY!

[@conductormike3step]

Grew up in DeRidder and started my railroad career with KCS before moving and getting with a new class 1 RR, and ran local service out there often the siding off the mainline split off by what used to be block buster by stines lumber. When I heard about the explosion I started making calls to the guys out there I knew. Thankfully I didn’t know any of the guys killed but it is tragic regardless. It used to be Boise before PCA.

[@ffandrewd2986]

These animations are actually really interesting and I’m actually learning something for once. Good shit!

[@inspectorevo5704]

Conservation vents, like the one depicted in the video, are designed to vent both ways. To relieve the tank from internal and external pressure (vacuum). I thought this was pretty common knowledge in the industry but It didn't seem like this was understood from the video. Just looking at this, I would say it's most likely that the tank vented the explosive turpentine vapors which were ignited by the sparks/slag? Also it isn't mentioned whether or not the tank had a flame arrestor installed. Where I currently work, these are required on tanks in any sort of flammable service.

[@Y2KNW]

If the vent had burped due to the tank warming up, the guys above would have heard their detectors going off on an LEL warning (unless they weren't wearing them) but the flow of air shouldn't have let any fire or sparks INTO the tank... (I spent many years putting on or taking off tracing & blankets on those valves when they were being serviced up here in the frigid wastes of northern Alberta)

[@Skyhawk1998]

The report was a little unclear on this, but I think they determined that it was heat penetrating the tank walls that set it off, not an actual spark or flame.

[@inspectorevo5704]

Again, this is just an assumption, but even if they had a monitor where the work was occurring, they were far enough above the tank for the fumes to dissipate in the wind. At least the amount of fumes that I would expect to be released during normal venting. I do agree that it's more likely that by 11:00 that morning, the tank may have been warming from the sun. The sparks from the hot work falling down onto or near that vent could have ignited the vapors. What I really can't imagine happening, is localized external heating from falling sparks or slag transferring enough heat to the internal surface to cause an explosion. That's a little far fetched in my opinion.

[@bobd687]

Should have regulated nitrogen as the first line of defense for the tank pulling a vacuum. Engineering control failure

[@kimobrien.]

I agree Bob D having a tank with a flammable liquid inside and then allowing it to vent to atmospheric pressure is like having a bomb reading for detonation.

[@ryanmarshall8925]

Real question, why are so many of these accidents occur in the south? Do they have more dangerous manufacturing plants down there or is there something else? I know not ALL of these are in the south but A LOT are

[@jmowreader9555]

Ryan, in the case of this plant, a huge part of it is the trees in the area. Yellow Pine is really good for making boxboard because the fibers in it make very strong paper - exactly what you want for packaging. The petroleum industry has a similar advantage: you want to build refineries near oilfields. There's another issue that affects all industries. After the Great Depression, the South decided it didn't want to be as dependent on agriculture as it once was and went to work luring factories. If you were trying to figure out where to build your next widget factory, and Mississippi offered you two square miles of land for $1280, no taxes for ten years and thousands of intelligent, hard-working people who see two-thirds of what you're paying in Maryland as more than anyone around here is offering, it wouldn't make sense to NOT build there.

[@ryanmarshall8925]

jmowreader thank you for the great answer! All things I did not consider and very insightful information as to why accidents happen where they do!

[@johnhernandez4782]

Ryan Marshall accidents happen when people become complacent or take shortcuts. As the CSB points out, the tank was not properly monitored and therefore the atmosphere inside the tank became explosive when exposed to some sort of spark. There was a few contributing factors as well. Accidents happen everywhere not just the south. As a safety professional I can say each accident is 100% preventable.

[@Dirtyroads]

Good Ol’ boy ways......older folks don’t like taking advice from millennials/safety personnel. Just the way it is!

[@lewiemcneely9143]

I'm a geezer and if it was good stuff I'd listen but if it was junk.................!

[@sealpiercing8476]

Good breakdown of the accident, great animation. Makes it clear what they were dealing with.

[@aria5614]

The animation and editing on this is really good.

[@chamonix4658]

NOTIFICATION SQUAD ROLL OUT

[@Jayfive276]

You're not on some squealing let's player's channel here. Grow up or piss off.

[@chamonix4658]

Jayfive276 no

[@chamonix4658]

Jimmy Strudel careful big guy thats my wife your talking about there. if you could just strudelete this i might give you a chance.

[@KSparks80]

harry Why don't you just come out of the closet and get it over with.

[@kidzbop38isstraightfire92]

6:00 can you imagine a tank that size launching over 6 stories and landing 375+ ft. away??!! Omg that probably sent those poor welders to the moon! At least it was probably instant death, if that's any consolation.

[@bf1255]

Thank you to all the workers who make this modern life possible. Thank you for taking those risks so we may live comfortably

[@primozimo3041]

Dude you're so informative thank you for making a KZbin channel

[@robanderson84]

temporary laborers are never aware of all dangers present, but CEOs like them cause they save a few bucks, sad story, old story

[@Muonium1]

"Three people were killed, and seven were injured." NO. Three MEN were killed and seven more MEN were injured. Men with families and children who they cared for and who loved them. These are the unfortunate MEN who comprise the 93% statistic of males killed every year in industrial and workplace related fatalities and whose dangerous work ensures the gears of industry and economy continue to turn, keeping you in comfort and safety with nary a second thought. Incidentally, you'll never hear anything about that particular workplace gender "gap" in the media. The least we can do is remember they had names. They were Jody L. Gooch, 40, of Newton County, William Rolls Jr. , 32, of Louisiana, Sedrick Stallworth, 42.

[@PyreVulpimorph]

Yes, the victims had names. This is strictly the *animation*, not the full report, which would most likely have told us who the victims were. The rest of your post is confused drivel. I suppose women, the remaining 7% (that's one in thirteen) killed in the industry, don't have families or children they cared for and supported? Or that women are regularly harassed out of jobs deemed too "manly" for them, like the woman who worked on an oil rig and found a spycam in her room?! Take your fragile male ego someplace else, broflake.

[@Phoen1x883]

10mintwo You are talking in the wrong place. The CSB KZbin channel isn't a hotbed of radical feminist ideologues (or their opposition), so most here probably wouldn't consider the whole gender politics thing a notable issue

[@flamingtoaster8707]

Damn, you just turned this into a political thing...

[@Muonium1]

pyre - cry harder sjwflake

[@echomjp]

You do realize that men are people, right? You do also realize that this channel is not a place for politicizing or attempting to bring an emotional response to these tragedies, but simply informs us of what happened specifically, right? Given your response, I can't help but think that you are unaware of these facts. Trying to bring up male expendability here is entirely tone-deaf, and is something that would be better suited to a blog. Most viewers here subscribe to this channel because we are interested in hearing about the details regarding these kinds of safety issues, not so we can bring our own political ideology and agenda towards said tragedy. Sure, they had names. Sure, they were men, though I don't see how that matters here as death is tragic regardless. The relevant issue here however is that a company like this was so utterly unaccountable in the first place, and that such a tragedy was allowed to happen "at all." Keeping us informed as to how it happened makes it more likely that such a tragedy may be avoided in the future, and I wish that individuals such as yourself could focus on a message without trying to immediately put your own ideological spin on it.

[@hydra7427]

Dude, some of these videos have better graphics than most video games I play

[@Olivia-W]

So many hot work accidents... great work, as always! And hot work safety is important not only in facilities; if you have some sort of home worshop, be extra careful.