DuPont La

Porte
Toxic Gas Leak

Faisal Arifin 02211645000015

Hanggoro Tri Aditya 02211645000017

Abdurrahman A. A. 02211440000127

Nurul Kharisma 02211540000078

 Chronology

November 12, 2014, DuPont in shutdown condition where in winter season

caused methyl mercaptan generates blockage
The yellow box outlines the 18,000 gallon methyl mercaptan storage tank at
the DuPont facility in La Porte, Texas
Activities During the Shift
Before the Incident
 The Incident

Liquid methyl mercaptan had started to flow into the waste gas vent header
piping. This was likely caused by the hydrate
 Recommendation
:
Recommendation to Minimize
Toxic Gas Leak
– Inherently Safer Design (ISD)
– Ensure Manufacturing Building is safe for workers
– Perform More Process Hazard Analysis
– Ensure Active Workforce Participation
– Public Transparency
Inherently Safer Design (ISD)

– The discharge of pressure relief system must comply with toxic chemical
scenario. Direction of toxic chemical leaks and the discharge of pressure relief
systems with toxic chemical scenarios to destruction system.
– Conduct a comprehensive engineering analysis of the manufacturing building.
Evaluate an open building structure to ensure high air circulation.
 Pressure Relief System

– Discharged toxic gas and liquid directly to atmosphere. Contaminants are not removed via
any kind of environmental destruction system such as a scrubber or incinerator.
 Pressure Relief System with Toxic
Chemical Scenario

Vent Header

Process Equipment /
Piping

Vent Header
Waste gas
Incinerator

Process Equipment /
Piping KO Drum

Liquid to drain / further waste process

Pressure Relief System

– Using gas vent header

– Process waste gas streams which are vented from equipment
throughout the process must be directed to thermal destruction (combustion)
 Incinerator
– Using thermal oxidizer system for the
destruction of organics, halogenated organics,
and nitrogen-containing wastes with removal of
acid gas from discharge.
– Thermal Recuperative Oxidizer (TRO) is chosen
because it has high thermal efficiency.
Knock Out Drum
– DuPont experienced frequent high pressure events because of liquid
accumulation in the vapor waste gas vent header piping.
Accumulated liquid consisted primarily of condensed water with
small amounts of other process chemicals, including methyl
mercaptan.
– Knock out drum can be used to safely remove liquid from the waste
gas vent header piping system
Oxygen and Toxic Gas Analyzer

– Analyzer houses in the MIC process

area outside of the manufacturing
building are equipped with oxygen
analyzers and lights that warn
potential entrants if the internal
atmosphere is low in oxygen
concentration and not safe to enter
(Figure 23). However, the
manufacturing building has
no similar oxygen atmosphere
monitoring or warning system
despite having significantly larger
inventories of hazardous chemicals
and unventilated areas.
68
Building
 Building

– The portion of the manufacturing building where the incident took place does not have a design
purpose. The enclosed manufacturing building and inadequate ventilation exposed personnel to
highly toxic chemical exposure and asphyxiation hazards that DuPont has not effectively
identified or controlled.
– Use open building structure to ensure good ventilation and minimize accumulation of toxic gas
and flammable gas.
– Open building structure has economic advantages. Minimize cost for building and ventilation
equipment.
Building
– Exhaust air from the fans is
discharged directly to
atmosphere. Contaminants are
not
removed via any kind of
environmental destruction
system such as a scrubber or
incinerator.
Perform More Process Hazard
Analysis
– PHAs must effectively identify and control the hazards referenced in this
document utilizing the hierarchy of controls.
– HAZOP, Failure Mode and Effect Analysis, Fault Tree Analysis, dll
Ensure Active Workforce
Participation
– Develop and implement a plan to ensure active participation of the workforce
and their representatives in the implementation of Recommendations
Planning
– Merencanakan pembuatan prosedur penanganan dan keamanan apabila
hal tersebut terjadi lagi
– Merencanakan perbaikan terhadap Design peralatan proses dalam segi
safety seperti pemasangan safety pressure relief valve dan jalur release
gas agar tidak mencemari lingkungan sekitar.
– Merencanakan perbaikan dan penambahan ventilasi pada ruangan tempat
proses berlangsung serta pemasangan gas detector sesuai dengan
standard.
– Merencanakan pelatihan terhadap prosedur keamanan pelaksanan kerja
kepada seluruh karyawan yang terkait
Organizing
– Membagi resource dalam menentukan penanggung jawab dan semua
anggotanya
– Menyusun rencana untuk pelaksanaan evaluasi
– Menyiapkan kebutuhan dalam pelaksanaan evaluasi
Actuating
– Inherently Safer Design :
1. Memperbaiki desain sistem ventilasi
2. Memperbaiki sistem shutdown dan startup
3. Memperbaiki sistem penggunaan distress call
– Process Hazard Analysis :
1. Memperbaiki sistem hierarchy of control : elimination, subtitution,
engineering control, administrative control dan PPE
2. Melakukan simulasi kondisi bahaya
Controlling
– Melakukan kontrol sehingga semua rencana terpenuhi
– Melakukan evaluasi terhadap tindakan yang telah dilakukan
Membangun Brand Images
1. Menyampaikan laporan yang transparan terhadap seluruh pihak internal perusahaan
2. Termasuk permintaan maaf dan bagaimana pertanggung jawaban terhadap keluarga korban yang
meninggal dan korban yang selamat
3. Menjelaskan kronologi dan rencana ke depan dalam pengelolaan pabrik metil merkaptan kepada seluruh
internal perusahaan
4. Melibatkan semua pekerja dalam pelaksanaan
5. Apabila ada reporter yang ingin menyebarluaskan berita ke masyarakat luar, sebisa mungkin
dikoordinasikan agar beritanya tidak mencemarkan nama baik perusahaan.