(104f) Vinyl Chloride Monomer Explosion

On April 23, 2004, an explosion and fire at the Formosa Plastics Corporation, Illiopolis, Illinois (Formosa-IL) polyvinyl chloride (PVC) manufacturing facility killed five and severely injured three workers. The initial explosion and fire destroyed most of the reactor facility and adjacent warehouse and ignited PVC resins stored in the warehouse. The plume of smoke from the smoldering fire drifted over the community and resulted in an evacuation that lasted 48 hours. The facility has been closed down since the incident and no actions to rebuild have been taken. Vinyl chloride (VCM), a highly flammable chemical and known carcinogen, and the major component in the facility's manufacturing process, was the primary fuel for the initial fire and explosion. Formosa-IL used VCM to manufacture a variety of PVC resins in twenty-four heated and pressurized reactors. Formosa-IL, a wholly owned subsidiary of Formosa Plastics Corporation, USA (FPC USA), purchased the Illiopolis facility from Borden Chemical and operated it for approximately 2 years before the incident. This paper will include discussion of the incident's root and contributing causes, and CSB recommendations to prevent recurrence.