Fire in the Valley

A CSB safety video depicting events leading to the August 28, 2008, catastrophic explosion and fire at the Bayer CropScience facility in Institute, WV, that fatally injured two workers.

[@christosvoskresye]

With plant managers like this, it would be redundant for terrorists to make their own chemical weapons.

[@howlingwolven]

Google "Bhopal" and watch the Seconds from Disaster documentary on it.

[@zackschilling4376]

Only way that this kind of stuff stops is when they start prosecuting CEOs, the Board, ect. It needs to be not worth it monetarily to operate unsafely. Think what would happen to Joe Blow if he had a fire in his backyard with a tank of MICs next to it. Corporations want to be people? Then, when they mess up they get arrested like the rest of us. If a company cant operate safely, then they need to learn to business.

[@ocoolwow]

@@zackschilling4376 Too idealistic, lobbying/money means lower regulation and companies will do whatever to minimize actual expenses.

[@zackschilling4376]

@@ocoolwow Well, theres always the Guillotine...

[@ocoolwow]

@@zackschilling4376 violence eh? I wouldn't stop it.

[@amostake]

First, if you are a security guard or anything of the sort, and you are working at a plant that is on fire, and a management tells you not to release information when emergency crews show up..... Listen to me... all of you... you tell those police and fire people absolutely everything. No job is worth waking up the next morning knowing people might of died because you kept your mouth shut. Second, every single manager involved in that, should be in prison. Forget about that company, you find the man who gave that order... and toss his butt in prison for life.

[@KestrelOwens]

banality of evil

[@dsandoval9396]

I have no idea what happened to that manager as of now but after years of fuckups I've witnessed I think I can spell out to you what happened... ...Even *_IF_* charges were brought up against him all he does is "step down" from his position and pay some fines that amount to pocket change after he receives his severance package. I hope he did end up behind bars but I'm pretty sure my version is going to be pretty close to the reality.

[@Cedrik_BOI]

Thats when people are stupid as *F*CK*

[@Elite7555]

How is management even going to find out who released information? And even if they do and fire you: just sue them for compensation. First they endanger you and then they threaten you? That is not how things work. Especially not in Germany!

[@Halberdin]

The problem here is to give the authorities complete and reliable information. A security guard can probably only tell what is obvious, like a fire, but not what is burning in what amounts, plus further hazards, plus what kind of injury treatment may be needed in case of a release of toxic substances. Whatever the people in charge say or do, legal repercussions can be huge, and public opinion can tilt at random.

[@ichaukan]

"There's an emergency at the plant. We won't tell you any more because $$$."

[@Satchmoeddie]

There is no reason to store MIC. You can easily make the stuff as you need it. To not cooperate with the fire department? That is easy. SHUT THEIR ASSES DOWN! Turn off their electricity, shut off their water, turn off the gas, and shoot anyone who tries to get near the place. Then raise their property taxes by a million percent.

[@saltrocklamp199]

Seth B "noooo you can't just shut down these American job creator heroes!" Just remember this whenever your snake politicians are trying to buy your vote with idpol/racism, 2a, and religion. They are the same sociopaths who support and keep these organizations in business.

[@Bankable2790]

Salt Rock Lamp you’re an idiot

[@HobbyOrganist]

@@Satchmoeddie If I was in charge there as mayor or something, I'd arrange for OSHA and the EPA to conduct WEEKLY random inspections and write up EVERY single violation there is, if a gum wrapper on the floor is a violation- Bayer gets a FINE no matter what. I'd become a real sore thorn in their side like no other!

[@airplanemaniacgaming7877]

@@HobbyOrganist best kind of petty vengeance.

[@jakebrodskype]

The executives of Bayer Crop Science should thank their lucky stars that they're still walking free. If there were any justice in this world, they'd all be doing hard time in prison for endangering the public safety, withholding critical information from first responders, and for manslaughter.

[@Coastie1548]

I agree! If it were me prosecuting I would have made sure they did hard time.😬

[@flaplaya]

Kinda like the 10,000 people that destroyed the global economy on purpose?.. Lives are at stake here.

[@ichaukan]

Always remember "freedom" and "money" are the same thing when it comes to corporate bigwigs.

[@yakacm]

Obviously I wouldn't wish a poison gas leak on anyone, but there would have been a certain poetic justice if it had happened, as Union Carbide and US company had killed thousands in India in 1984 from a release of this same gas. So a German company doing the same in the US would have had a certain irony. And yes I'm guessing the US authorities would have made Bayer pay, unlike what happened in Bhopal were Union Carbide got off scot free. Funnily enough the Bhopal disaster was the reason why the CSB was set up in the first place.

[@operationscomputer1478]

"contrary to established written procedure OPERATORS used a password to bypass the system interlocks. Blame the executives for what an operator did.

[@teacher555555]

it was and is highly illegal for anyone to withhold any information that they know of about an emergency situation because it not only puts the public in danger but puts the people who are responding to that emergency in more danger because of things like this.

[@ryansshane]

welcome to america, if it’s illegal for you, it’s legal for corporations

[@kevinbyrne4538]

They circumvented safety controls to start the reactor before the computer monitoring system was ready and while the toxic gas detectors weren't functioning. Result? An explosion that killed 2 workers and that could have duplicated the 1984 Bhopal industrial catastrophe. Very thoughtful of management not to inform anyone of the chemicals that were present on the site.

[@petero.7487]

The capacity of that MIC tank was about 63.9% that of the tank that blew open at Bhopal: That killed 8000 within a week or two and almost 20,000 over the years following

[@FlameDarkfire]

Peter O. And I don’t think Bhopal’s MIC tank was completely emptied.

[@trespire]

Was anyone in Bayer management held accountable for refusing to provide information during the emergency ? or are Bayer beyond the reach of the Law ? Excellent video from USCSB,

[@jfbeam]

Big corporations can by their way out of almost anything. And the feds and local government are just as unlikely to do anything meaningful as it will cost them a huge tax base. Logically, they should be fined to the tune of billions, and their operating permits permanently rescinded.

[@ElTurbinado]

I don’t think any execs were charged but Bayer had settled a deal to contribute to a wastewater treatment project and/or purchase additional emergency vehicles and pump trucks for local fire departments. It’s only a $3-4 million settlement. Also I’m oversimplifying. It’s all recent (2017 and ongoing) developments actually, google it. Dow owns the plant now.

[@ElTurbinado]

They also got about $1.1 mil in fines and $500k in process improvement costs. Which is pretty much pennies.

[@doggonemess1]

We should hire Miller from the expanse to investigate. He knows what to do when you find the guy in charge.

[@Elite7555]

Apart from that: Don't they need a licence to store those chemicals? If so: Shouldn't the authorities have acces to that?

[@THR33STEP]

How can a company get away with not telling first responders critical information??? I pray those eight individuals exposed to toxic chemicals are ok!!

[@danielebrparish4271]

Probably because the public relations officer was the contact person for the company and the managers who knew what happened didn't want their bosses to know what they did. The military does this a lot. The lowest ranking member with the least power gets the blame so the higher ups can keep their jobs. Therefore the operators didn't tell the public relations person what they didn't do that caused the explosion. From the outside it looked like the company was withholding information but actually those who were responsible weren't talking and no one knew who they were.

[@brussell639]

It's hard to imagine a security guard telling the cops/firemen "we'll tell you something if we think you need to know," and the cops/firemen just saying, "well ok."

[@deezelfairy]

As most these accidents appear, once again putting profit and 'company reputation' before safety both on and off site. Managers should have served time for withholding information of this unfolding situation - the police should be able to arrest them there and then, it's disgusting!

[@sleepyburr]

deezelfairy That line of reasoning doesn’t even make any sense if you think about it. Between telling emergency personnel what’s going down and admitting how you fucked up, or concealing what you did and potentially causing severe injury/death in the surrounding area as a result, which would ultimately be worse for your reputation? :P

[@harleyspeedthrust4013]

@@sleepyburr in general its always better to be honest and accept responsibility, not only where you screw up but also where you succeed. it is the mark of a small man (or woman) to blame others or shift responsibility to protect themselves

[@JNJNRobin1337]

personal belief: it shouldnt be legal to withold critical information to emergency personnel when a disaster happens at a location, because not supplying important information will only lead to problems

[@arbitterm]

Can't tell anyone what's happening before you get your lies and scapegoats in order.

[@oldgysgt]

There is NEVER an excuse for deviating from an SOP, (Standard Operating Procedure), or MOP, (Method Of Procedure). Any problems with an SOP or MOP should be addressed BEFORE the SOP or MOP is adopted. If the work cannot proceed within the SOP or MOP guidelines, the "Back Out" procedures in the SOP or MOP needs to be followed, and the operation stopped until the issue has been resolved, and a new SOP or MOP is written, reviewed, and published. Only then should the work be resumed. This might be costly in time, but accidents are also costly in time, lives, and money. "No job is so important, no service is so urgent, that we can't take the time to perform our work safely".

[@princewilliams9388]

🤔 and I agree!!!

[@filanfyretracker]

in a logical world I would say you are right, Corporations exist in a land so illogical that a Vulcan would explode if they walked in the door due to the hard logic vacuum. Cost is the very reason for this lack of logic. Sadly shareholders do not care about safety and SOPs, They care about quarterly revenues and profits. "We have to pause and let the fluids cool down some" Corporate HQ "I need that plant online in five hours make it happen" And sadly in today's world if you will not bypass the safety lockout than management will find someone who will. Especially in places without unions

[@miguelzavaleta1911]

I wish that was the prevalent culture. I work automation consulting and actually get to see many plants and processes first-hand. As a rule of thumb, the older the plant, the more they become complacent to bending SOPs, etc. You see it all the time, machines with so many modifications that their wiring diagrams are useless, processes that are changed or developed on a per-day basis, etc. You get the idea.

[@valsptsd814]

There are fire departments that are expressly instructed to refuse to enter a chemical facility if the chemical hazard is not identified. They will evacuate a huge area before they will approach an unknown danger.

[@OAleathaO]

As is usually the case, during a disaster anyone working on site is normally instructed NOT to release any information to anyone outside the company. This includes first responders. I'm not agreeing with it; just stating what seems to be the case time and again. Most managers on site are instructed to contact their superiors who will then decide what information to release to the public. In the cases where company onsite personnel have released information to first responders it is usually found later during the investigation that they were violating company policy by doing so. This is part of the corporate culture that puts PR damage control ahead of employee, first responder and community safety.

[@Halberdin]

I think less of PR than the problems caused by incorrect, outdated or incomplete information, like legal liability. Some random people at the gates or phones cannot be relied on. There has to be direct communication between the people in charge or specialists; this seems to have failed here. But the company might not have known what happened, what was damaged and what was burning or being released. So silence is, from PR view, better than "we don't know".

[@painmagnet1]

This is not the case in the industries I have associated with in the northwestern US. Managers will attempt to discourage gossip with the press regarding public relations, but safety concerns dictate 100% compliance first and foremost. Then again, I don't work in the deep south. The culture is different and it's why we see more industrial accidents there, administrators assume more power. Probably due to cronyism.

[@TheTrueAdept]

@@sjb3460 However, they still had much of the culture, the only reason that WV succeeded was because they didn't want to fight for slavery (WV was a part of Virginia that was pretty much slave-empty and de facto anti-slavery). WV is mostly mining towns back then if I remember right.

[@keiyakins]

Given that it was known there was MIC on site, first responders should have enacted plans for a release of that, and told the public there was a possible release of it. If Bayer wants to "protect their image" by refusing accurate information, assume the worst.

[@ReeseKaine]

I live across the river from Nitro, in the Unincorporated regions of Saint Albans. Dad thought that the sun rose back up again and dropped once more. My brother was stuck on the interstate, not far from Institute after it happened. Because of that, traffic was backed up a long ways, possibly all the way to Kanawha City. I won't forget that night. :(

[@budbarker57]

I was in South Charleston, just around the bend, in the Kanawha. The concussion was so great, that I thought someone was trying to break down our front door.

[@xaenon]

I used to live near a Bayer facility in SW Ohio. It was often said that the plant had the capability of blowing the town completely off the map.

[@hugofraga4075]

Lol

[@wnytrashtrucks]

there is a lot of chemical plants that really could. Or places with certain chemicals

[@kentslocum]

Flammable chemicals aren't the only way to cause explosions. My employer has a steam heating plant. If the water level inside the boilers were to drop too low, the water would flash-boil and the resulting explosion would level several city blocks.

[@crispychickenwing]

Other than learning about something completely new from watching this channel, I really like and appreciate that they included subtitles in most of their videos,even the older one from 14 years ago. It helps people like me, whos first language isnt English to understand it even more. And I can also do my own research by Googling the name of the chemicals and foreign terms mentioned in the video. 👍💯🔥

[@agentblackbird9435]

I’m from the US and I use the subtitles to help hear and understand things more clearly

[@titaniumsandwedge]

The chemical operator monitoring the decomposition tank misread the situation. if it were just a blocked vent line, it would explain the increase in pressure. But by then the temperature inside the tank was over limit. High tempeature and pressure are signs of a reaction taking off.

[@Eldomibori]

I remember that night. Terrifying. It was my birthday I was a kid. Just turned 8 years old that day and I woke up from the explosion and looked out the window and started screaming the sky is on fire.

[@rustyaxelrod]

Human factor analysis sound pretty dry but it is, in fact, a fascinating subject. I work in aviation (weapons systems) and receive annual training and I always enjoy the classes. In any dangerous environment it is THE mechanism to avoid failure and consistently results in improved safety, productivity and even earnings for the company. Many people, managers and technicians included roll their eyes when the subject come up but it is a valid and vital aspect of getting dangerous things done. Learn the “dirty dozen” human factors failures and learn to recognize them in your worksite even if your company doesn’t teach them. Much info is available online.

[@stanislavkostarnov2157]

a good safety rule of thumb: if no information is given assume the worst... they must have after all had some idea of the kind of production going on at the plant, at least a local evacuation should have been ordered until more information was known. also, if there was knowing deception/lies coming from anyone of the management/employees of the plant, those people have names, and should be tried as criminals for what they have done. at minimal they have given false witness to a member of the authorities, at maximum, they have gravely endangered lives by their willful and unlawful actions. the fact of the deception though needs to be established by the court.

[@keiyakins]

Given what we know about MIC releases from Bhopal, a five mile evacuation and ten mile shelter-in-place would have been entirely warranted. And those are *minimums*.

[@ThoughtinFlight]

This channel is better than "seconds from disaster" or " destroyed in seconds" or any of those that extend it for like 1 hour per show. These are to the point, good nuggets of DAMN son. Also I feel many of these mistakes go STRAIGHT to Darwin awards

[@Defender78]

Darwin Awards go to people who can't know any better, can't identify hazards, and end up getting themselves wrecked. Bayer knew EXACTLY what the dangers were and intentionally CHOSE not to take protective measures, just to save on expenses

[@anonymousAJ]

Sadly the people killed are usually innocent

[@johannesbols57]

Not to mention the aviation channels with their clickbait thumbnails. You see them all the time in youtube feeds and suggestions.

[@FlameDarkfire]

An accident like what happened in Bhopal absolutely can happen here in the US. As long as companies continue to store dangerous intermediary chemicals and have cultures of results before safety we’re going to continue to run the risk of a serious industrial chemical incident.

[@ph11p3540]

Most likely the non disclosure of information when it was so desperately needed was due to Bayer having Department of Defense contracts. Nobody in middle or lower job positions dares say anything out fear of being put in federal prison for divulging information that may fall under national security protection. A lot of corporations love to bring up DoD non disclosure laws whenever they want to thwart an investigation or hide secrets from the people who need to know the most.

[@nobody-xu8ju]

@Lise Dolen naw some things needs to be secret so STFU

[@Simon-xi7lb]

@@nobody-xu8ju I'm sure the 40,000 people living near the facility appreciate your valuing government secrecy over their safety.

[@nobody-xu8ju]

@@Simon-xi7lb then they should move that place was there long before any one living there now

[@Simon-xi7lb]

@@nobody-xu8ju lol yeah, just 40,000 people abandoning their homes just because the subhumans at bayer and the dod don't care about following proper safety procedures. you're positively brilliant, you know that?

[@nobody-xu8ju]

@@Simon-xi7lb or they could just deal with that's about the only two options they have

[@Rams495]

If I was the security guard I would've told the truth. They told me not to say anything thus I know nothing. I live 30 miles from this plant and remember they didn't say anything for a very long time. If that 13,000 lbs of Mic had leaked there would've been no one left in the valley. I think it was a very small leak in India that killed thousands. This plant has a college right next door plus a multiple towns and cities up and down the river.

[@DynamicSeq]

But what if they did not know what was on fire ..it's a big plant....And If you give wrong info, the treatment might harm the very people they are trying to help...

[@MonkeyJedi99]

@@DynamicSeq Then the truth you tell is, "I do not know exactly what is on fire, it seems to have happened in location [xyz] and I have been ordered to not tell you anything by [person]."

[@catalintimofti1117]

"We are proud to say that no toxic chemicals were released because they have been consumed in a massive fire and explosion that killed 2 people"

[@j-man6001]

I remember this and many local news especially WSAZ were hush hush about this, just terrible the media and how they downplay a possible major catastrophe like this. Bayer needs to be investigated and prosecuted to the fullest extent

[@HSamee]

Dude I don't work with anything close to the things shown in these videos but I just can't stop. the stuff is straight up informative as well as tragic.

[@jcrif]

I swear to god I could write the findings even before any of these accidents. Operators not trained, no procedures, over rides of safeties and alarms and lots of stuff that doesn't work because no one wanted to pay to have it fixed. I'm still looking for the video that tells me something new.

[@gfunk4014]

Question: Did Bayer refuse to give critical information of the chemicals in use to emergency responders because they were bidding something or because they simply did not know what was actually in use?

[@haruhisuzumiya6650]

There was Mic on the compound

[@lewiemcneely9143]

They were probably at home and waiting to see if there was another Bhopal firing up and whether they needed to hit the high road out of town.

[@SlimbTheSlime]

I keep binging these vids and I’m learning a lot about how to work safe in industries I’ll likely never be a part of.

[@pointcuration1278]

Working safe is something you can do in any industry. Be safe.

[@YABBAHEY1]

Bayer/Dow can not divulge that information, they have too many bees to kill. "So many bees, so little time."

[@TheMattc999]

You know, by about 5 minutes in it's really starting to sound like they were actively trying to see how many different ways they could possibly fuck up this operation before it all goes to irreparable shit.

[@stdorn]

We have a fire at our chemical plant.. What chemicals are involved... I'm not allowed to say... Sorry we are not allowed to get anywhere near it then.

[@Elite7555]

There are some things I don't understand: Why is there a password to perform unsafe operations? Why is there no safeguard against FORGETTING to add a crucial component? And why are there no automatic safety mechanisms which deal with overpressure? How could all this go unnoticed for HOURS without ANY alarms? It is unbelievable.

[@sski]

Dr. Raf is sporting a pretty classy ensemble. That suit material, high dollar shirt, and the color and pattern of that tie are perfect. That's how you dress for success.

[@painmagnet1]

He would benefit from a speech coach, though. That accent is pretty rough.

[@TheTrainChasingPoet1999]

@@painmagnet1 That's nothing. The CSB has an Irishman on their payroll.

[@michaelnolastname5405]

Brought to you by the friendly folks that gave Heroin to the world.

[@timh9537]

Well shit, TIL...

[@LetsTalkAboutPrepping]

Bayer: gassing folks since the 40s

[@raymondleggs5508]

BOOM! refuses to tell 911 about explosion. failure!

[@n5iln]

So how's that deregulation thing working out for everyone?

[@kevinbyrne4538]

As the narrator said at 10:51, OSHA didn't have enough inspectors to monitor the plant properly. So whether or not there were relevant regulations governing this incident, is irrelevant. The federal government abandoned its obligations and dumped its responsibility on the local county government. So a poorly funded local government, which doesn't have either the resources or the expertise to monitor these plants, nevertheless is left to do a job that it's unsuited to do. "You're on your own, guys. Good luck. You'll need it."

[@TheMattc999]

n5iln well, this wasn't "deregulated", so I would say regulated or not, it doesn't really make a difference if you've got the $$$ to pay off those in charge of overseeing your particular industry.

[@painmagnet1]

@John Ross Well said. The administration of safety concerns in the US has never been de- regulated. Regulations have steadily increased as a response to evolving disaster experience. BUT, what's always been lacking is the criminal prosecution of the real offender. I mean not a fine on the company but the incarceration of the actual people responsible.

[@OhShitSeriously]

John Ross Sure. Nothing fosters a culture of safety like giving people an active incentive to lie and conceal everything they can, lest they be scapegoated into prison by superiors who fear the same will happen to them.

[@mikhailangel3258]

Managers under pressure to meet production quota bypassing safety policies and after an accident the first thing they do is to cover up negligence endangering surrounding communities/population.

[@Elite7555]

And what does a manager know about engineering? Nothing! So he shouldn't have any authority about safety protocols.

[@williamdavis3128]

Unfortunately large corporations have way too much power when it comes to local government and federal government. Where I live there’s a DuPont plant. That particular plant was in one county and the county was redrawing the border between the county and the city border the plan was to put the plant inside the city limits but the plant said if they did that they would close all their plants in the county if they put them inside the city

[@cannonball9478]

Give CSB prosecution powers that cannot be over ruled

[@Syclone0044]

Elect Democrats and there's actually a chance of that happening

[@TheTrueAdept]

That would force it into politics, which would degrade the ability for the CSB to make proper examinations of the incidents.

[@Tindometari]

That would defeat the CSB's reason for being. Their investigations depend on interviewing people involved and getting the truth from them. Giving the CSB prosecution power would end that in a hurry. That's why every CSB report contains a notice that the report cannot be used as evidence establishing fault in any civil or criminal proceeding.

[@Tindometari]

@John Ross Just this: Make CSB cops, and witnesses will treat them like cops. Won't talk to them, they'll shut up and lawyer up -- or else they'll lie. Kinda gets in the way when you need to find out what happened and why so you make recommendations on how to avoid it happening again.

[@Tindometari]

@John Ross Sure. That is exactly what would happen. People do it with cops all the time.

[@Backyardmech1]

I wonder how close to Nitro this was. There are several plants in the area. It's been more than 10 years since I last worked out in the area, but I remember the Kanawha valley is not a good place to be if a plant had a fire or release.

[@Moose6340]

I've driven I-64 and I-77 through Charleston a fair bit, and I've always wondered, with those endless miles of refineries and chemical plants along the highways, what would happen in a bad scenario. It wouldn't be pretty for sure.

[@Rams495]

This is only and 3 miles from Nitro and about 15 miles from DuPont in Belle. There are dozens of chemical plants along that stretch of river. All of them have had very dangerous chemicals at one time. DuPont used to have half million gallon tanks of chlorine. There a place above belle that trees do not grow from a leak back in the 50s. Luckily it drifted up and away from town but everyone calls it bald knob.

[@nickc3657]

The Bhopal plant explosion killed tens of thousands of people, poisoned hundreds of thousands, and the area still has higher than normal rates of birth defects today. The plant was run by an American company, so it’s incredibly arrogant to think it couldn’t happen here.

[@NicholasLittlejohn]

Are they trying to say it's not good to live near a dangerous pesticide facility or something?

[@mikekerezsi9672]

Thanks for the vid

[@mattjohnson7775]

oh Bayer well there's your answer

[@TheTrainChasingPoet1999]

Here's what I find spooky: starting at 5:19 you can hear church bells. Like, grim-sounding church bells you typically hear at a funeral

[@berthold64]

CSB videos have good sound design

[@Scitech101]

1:32 That moment sent a huge chill down my spine.

[@midwestsirens]

Why?

[@Syclone0044]

RCDude Probably because the Bhopal industrial accident is almost certainly the largest, deadliest accident you've never heard of. 10's of thousands were killed. I think 30,000?

[@maxpeterson8616]

​@Syclone0044 About 4,000 confirmed immediate deaths. Estimates of up to 8,000 within weeks. Likely many more due to long-term effects.

[@doggonemess1]

6:47 Carolyn Charnock - Executive Director, Kanawha County Metro 911 and Professional Triangle Impersonator

[@sednabold859]

So if the emergency pressure release wasn't blocked was it still inceficent to keep the run away reaction from exploding? Seems like they routinely run the risk of explosion every time it became blocked if they wernt able to work a solution in time

[@lewiemcneely9143]

It wasn't if it was going to blow, it was WHEN.

[@redpillrules3136]

Who else is binge watching these CSB videos ?

[@WendysCove]

I gotta tell ya tell the truth for the public's health. Or be sued ever after I would.

[@willyeverlearn7052]

Brilliant idea. Get those videos out there.

[@zmirecki]

How is it even legal for these companies to not disclose that information in an emergency situation?

[@Moose6340]

Good ol' Charleston. If you ever drive Interstate 64 through Charleston, along the Kanawha River, you'll see this plant and so many others. There are literally MILES of side-by-side refineries and chemical plants along the river. Especially at night, it's pretty spectacular to see all the plants lit up and going full-tilt. Institute, Belle, Nitro, St. Albans, all those little suburban towns are right up against those plants and the Interstate. If that MIC tank had been breached...depending on the wind you would've had literally another Bhopal disaster. Possibly even worse.

[@EternalWarrior1988]

Why do I keep binge watching these USCSB videos?!

[@jesusabueno1701]

What use is the new software and equipment if they will be bypassed

[@Firstnamelastname-sm1ty]

And I thought China had safety issues...... this is just crazy!

[@ScoutSniper3124]

I worked at a chemical plant for several years. The maintenance team was beyond lazy, and several of the operators in the plant were devoid of common sense. They've had many 'small' accidents due to this, and I can't help but think, one day, I'll be seeing a video detailing a MAJOR disaster at that plant. Sadly, not everyone is focused on Safety and proper maintenance.

[@BariumCobaltNitrog3n]

The performance and profit bonuses given to Bayer executives far outweighed the safety concerns of POTENTIAL accidents. They became complacent after years of running the plant with broken equipment, outdated computers and overworked personnel without a major incident. Adding to that, they received huge tax breaks from the city and county, which only rewarded the profit-first mentality.

[@mickaelwilliams6129]

I want to be a supervisor...whats your iq...80 iq...ok your a supervisor.

[@Blahsheep]

In a country where you can sue anyone for pretty much anything, how are the people that didn't give out critical information not in jail?!

[@MsJinkerson]

if a company wasn't giving the info the company should be prosecuted and serve time for it

[@commissary4196]

Bypass safety lock for the WIN!!

[@Tindometari]

Yeah, if you're told to defeat a safety interlock, then I don't care if it's the company's chief engineer telling you to do it -- you question that shit!

[@danielstone2928]

Does anyone know the estimated numbers of casualties if the above ground mic.storage ta nk had been compromised.

[@StCreed]

If we extrapolate from Bhopal, it could have been 2000 immediate casualties and 5000 longer term deaths. However, in Bhopal everyone was asleep and given. Here, people were awake. They were being informed as far as possible. Had MIC been released in any number, they would have had warning and a lot more people would have been able to get out. So likely less casualties. Still... the risk of thousands of deaths was there.

[@BramMichaelson]

For those of you complaining in the comment section about why Bear officials weren't held accountable for not disclosing the information… Do you understand now that there are two, possibly even three levels of law in this country? One for the politicians. One for big companies. One for you and I. Guess who goes to prison more frequently than the rest? I wonder why that is?

[@HobbyOrganist]

"the company refused to provide any information..." Did the city tell Bayer they couln't renew their business operation license again under any circumstances now? I hope the 40,000 people all SUED and won millions and the plant was shut down permanantly! If I was in charge there as mayor or something, I'd arrange for OSHA and the EPA to conduct WEEKLY random inspections and write up EVERY single violation there is, if a gum wrapper on the floor is a violation- Bayer gets a FINE no matter what. I'd become a real sore thorn in their side like no other!

[@csme07]

They would fucking gas you lol

[@EM.1]

I didn’t know that Bayer has a fertilizer crop production plants. Bayer is mostly known for pharmaceuticals medication products. But at the end it’s still a company that use chemicals materials, so it’s reasonable that they differentiate the types of products in different branches, I just didn’t know about the crops things.

[@douggale5962]

Is it just my imagination, or is the CSB really the extremely noble institution it appears to be? These videos make me think maybe all humans aren't so bad.

[@anonymousAJ]

CSB causes these accidents to create KZbin content (jk)

[@38Maelstorm]

The CSB performs the same function as the NTSB which investigates airplane accidents. Their reason for being is safety first and foremost. There have been people (mid-level managers and up) at the FAA that were fired because of NTSB reports.

[@ImplantedMemories]

When you work in a crude oil refinery and you know where your company cut's corners. I Work in the FCC Unit, so I also know where it's likely to die when shit goes wrong. These videos help us workers to prevent dangerous actions from happening. Because I can always double check or research things before I do them in a unusuall, dangerous way. But I have to say my company here in Germany is far safer than alot of other companies, we don't cheap out on life threathening things.

[@anonymousAJ]

Keep in mind ignorance is often a major element of these disasters.

[@Cypher791]

Is everything alright in there? “Yes!! Uhh, everything is fine!” But… the plant is on fire!… “yes that’s normal.. nothing to see here..” 😳🔥

[@philliplopez8745]

it is amazing what you can get away with , when you can buy the state and local politicians for a song and a dance !!!

[@grahamowen1570]

Phillip Lopez hell that lot are on the corporate payroll anyway

[@ke3wh]

So sad

[@sqeekykleen49]

What a surprise, Bayer. Yup Bayer in a nutshell. Sounds Like BP borrows their handbook frequently.

[@cw1309]

If that's the case bring up charges against the owners and managers put their ass in jail to be made an example of

[@TEMPLE7D]

Bet those Bayer employees needed aspirins after that lol

[@Ch0rr1s]

Does anyone know if or what legal actions have been taken? Because the information blockade in an emergency like that just HAS to be a crime...

[@florinmerry7664]

Why don’t neighboring towns install public chemical monitoring system with alarms

[@devtrash]

Why was Bayer in 2008 storing MIC?

[@daveperala4965]

I vacation there every year and it's scary to know that there's so many toxic chemicals there when I drive past it to go to Walmart...

[@watchthe1369]

ACCOUNTABILITY>>>>>You quit your job and get proven right? or do as told and whose fault is it? I think people that work in these places might want to consider a "Safety Strike" if they KNOW it isn't ready. The county or local community should take charge of their safety. 2 engineers from the Horizon Incident went to jail for signing off, but what happened to BP? Time for the community to fine Bayer a couple million $$$$, that will get their attention.

[@alexr6033]

I'm never buying anything Bayer ever again.

[@jfbeam]

Good luck with that. You won't find their logo on 100% of their products. Nor do you have any idea who's using Bayer materials in their products.

[@danielbenedict8818]

Alex R, That’s easy to say, but NOT so easy to actually do! You most likely do not personally buy Bayer Pesticides, but you might eat food grown with their use or wear clothes produced with Bayer chemicals. Also, is there a parent company or subsidiary companies? How about partnerships or affiliates? Big company; lot of complex issues!

[@juliustheillustrious7727]

Oh yes, you are!

[@jellyfishattack]

What about Bayer making Zyklon B?

[@operationscomputer1478]

why? because someone who worked for them bypassed the system and blew something up?

[@crazynate3761]

Sounds like Bayer management was running the emergency services in this area.

[@ToxicallyMasculinelol]

i love this guy whose voice sounds exactly like javier bardem's

[@thewolfpack2825]

For those who may not know why this was so scary let me explain. Cyanide on its own is extremely poisonous. The gas is most dangerous but ingesting it can kill you too as it prevents the cells from using oxygen. MIC is a chemical compound that is very reactive to heat. It’s melting point is only -49F and it becomes a gas at only 103.1F. It is very flammable and will ignite under many temperature conditions. Oh, and did I mention that it reacts violently with water? So if wanted comes in contact with it the chemical will literally explode. Things it can’t be near....water, acids, alkali, amines, iron, tin, copper, and other catalysts. The gas causes blindness, skin irritation and death is usually caused by respiratory distress as it attacks the lungs and bronchial airways. So yeah.....very nasty stuff.

[@tuplaluusto]

Reminds me of Chernobyl. "Everything is okay, just a little accident, nothing more to tell you about"

[@srmj71]

Had I been in a position of authority, in that situation, with Bayer refusing to give information, Bayer would still be paying the fine. They would be paying that fine for decades. I would also have been going for jail time for all Bayer employees involved in withholding that critical information. I would not stop short of blood. I'm all for industry, but the stupidity of refusing to release the needed info, absolutely cannot go unchallenged or unpunished.

[@timothylegg]

Ever notice that people making environment and safety decisions never live near these facilities?

[@steelem422]

It’s great to see that industry is able to monitor itself........what’s a couple of low paying employees really worth anyways?

[@briansweet8904]

Are the shareholders ok? That's the REAL concern

[@lewiemcneely9143]

@@briansweet8904 And did this knock the supervisors and foremen out of their production bonuses? Gee, I sure hope not. GAGG!

[@Myrea_Rend]

Y'all, this plant used to be owned by none other than *Union Carbide.* The Bhopal plant's layout was based on this plant.

[@tippo5341]

Yes, human factors such as greed, corporate governance for profit ahead of safety human factors, and the lack of information release in the first instance all deplorable evidence of how little the community outside of their fence mattered to the company...disgraceful to say the least. Cheers from Aus!!!!

[@senzomcmanus]

Good thing these big companies lobby for less regulation and lesser fines for violations or they might be out of business. And after all taking care of workers doesn't increase revenue.

[@Ybw420]

we need one of these videos for that beirut explosion

[@bobohunter1776]

This is a US federal organization. That isn't their jurisdiction

[@soundspire360]

The fact that a company straight up refused to cooperate with emergency services is appalling. That should be illegal

[@danielebrparish4271]

It's illegal for a gov't entity to not make records available but all private entities and individuals are not obligated to do so. That's why there is a movement by government to form partnerships with private businesses. Called public-private partnerships those records become private.

[@SteinGauslaaStrindhaug]

Surely withholding information about what chemicals are involved in a chemical accident is a criminal offence and the managers giving this instruction went to jail and this facility immediately lost it's licence to process dangerous chemicals, right? Cause in a sensible world they would...

[@SteinGauslaaStrindhaug]

I'm of course assuming that you need a licence and certification for handling and processing dangerous chemicals, but judging by all these stories of wilful disregard of safety, I'm starting to suspect you only need the money to build a factory (and buy the politicians) and you're good to go on killing your employees and poisoning your community.

[@crappyuij7]

That guy "HOLY FUCK!" I would of said the same thing lol

[@roeuth]

Supervisors be like hey, let me send you to your doom. You work under me right? Then get in there and check for any near death experiences.