Sun Chemical Corporation

An employee connected a hose from a chemical tank car containing about 34,000 pounds of aniline to a dripless connection, then actuated the pumping system to transfer the aniline (Aminobenzene) into an onsite holding vessel. The employee was splashed with aniline while disconnecting the transfer hose after the tank car was fully emptied. The employee's right thigh was contaminated with aniline; the employee was treated for aniline poisoning and hospitalized.

An employee was working to connect a tote-size sac of crystalline chemical to the iris of a process feed chute. The crystals feed down the chute through the iris, then through a rotating vane valve. There are two panels covering the vane valve. The sac of crystalline chemical emptied down the chute just halfway before the crystalline chemical got blocked. The employee opened the panel covering the vane valve to unblock the material. The valve vane amputated the employee's right index finger down to the knuckle.

An employee was attempting to unclog salt that was damp from recent humid weather. The salt was added to the process through a 10-inch-long pipe with a rotary gate valve at the end. The employee's finger was caught in the turning valve, resulting in an amputation.

An employee was performing oversight for the welding of a pipeline launcher door on a construction project. Two welders were performing arc welding, one on the interior diameter of the pipeline launcher door, and the other on the outside diameter of the launcher door when a flash fire occurred. The injured employee sustained first- and second-degree burns to the face, neck, back, and hands.

While on a scissor lift, an employee was grinding a steel pipe. Sparks from the grinder ignited some nearby rags that had been used to apply coating treatments to the pipe. This fire subsequently ignited the employee's clothing. The employee sustained burns to approximately 46% of their body and was hospitalized.

An employee was working in an area where another company was also working. The other company's employees were using an electric hydraulic pump to remove the bolts of the frac valve. The wiring of the torque wrench and pump unit were then charred and a flash fire occurred. The employee sustained second-degree burns to their face and neck.

On October 17, 2023, an employee was at a sink while using a solvent to unclog a vacuum trap dip tube that contained solids from pinacolborane distillation. During this process, the sink caught on fire and the solvent bottle containing tert-butyl methyl ether fell into the burning sink. The employee attempted to remove the solvent bottle which also caught on fire and suffered burns to their neck and left hand.

An employee was under a railcar cleaning up dust with a vacuum hose. The hose caused a spark that caused a flash fire that ignited the employee's clothing. The employee sustained second- and third-degree burns over 83% of his body.

An employee was taking out the trash through the storeroom door when the storeroom door closed on their left index finger. The employee's fingertip was amputated.

An employee had been using a hoist to add bulk bags of pigment to tanks in an area that was not air conditioned. The employee collapsed from heat stress and was hospitalized due to dehydration.

An employee was pumping varnish from a holding tank into a tub for a production batch. He was filling the tub through a flex hose. When the hot varnish started flowing, it caused the flex hose to move and spray hot varnish. The employee sustained burns to their back requiring hospitalization.

An employee was adding chemicals to a mixer when a combustible dust explosion occurred and started a fire. The employee jumped off the platform, which resulted in broken bones; the employee was also burned.

An employee was moving drums off a skid. When he set a drum back down, his ring finger was caught between the rims of two drums resulting in amputation of the fingertip.

An employee was closing a door when the door closed on their right index finger, resulting in a fingertip amputation.

An employee was walking into the motor control center (MCC) room when his right ring finger was caught in the hinge of a doorway. He sustained an open phalanx fracture, which resulted in a partial amputation above the first knuckle.

An employee was changing the spacing on a telehandler's forks. A fork slipped, and the employee's left index finger was caught between it and the mast. The fingertip was medically amputated at the first knuckle.

An employee was pulling down a broken skid with a forklift. When the employee backed up the forklift to get the forks out of the skid he pulled down, he contacted the forks of another parked forklift, fracturing both of his legs. He was hospitalized.

An employee was carrying cups back to the kitchen when her foot got caught on a cart and she fell face-first. During the fall, a piece of glass from a cup cut the inside of her mouth, severing an artery. She also sustained a laceration on her lower lip. The employee was hospitalized.