Customize Consent Preferences

We use cookies to help you navigate efficiently and perform certain functions. You will find detailed information about all cookies under each consent category below.

The cookies that are categorized as "Necessary" are stored on your browser as they are essential for enabling the basic functionalities of the site. ... 

Always Active

Necessary cookies are required to enable the basic features of this site, such as providing secure log-in or adjusting your consent preferences. These cookies do not store any personally identifiable data.

No cookies to display.

Functional cookies help perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collecting feedback, and other third-party features.

No cookies to display.

Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics such as the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.

No cookies to display.

Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.

No cookies to display.

Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with customized advertisements based on the pages you visited previously and to analyze the effectiveness of the ad campaigns.

No cookies to display.

November 8, 2022 | Susan Napier-Sewell

CSB Releases Final Report into 2017 Pressure Vessel Explosion at Loy-Lange Box Company in St. Louis

final report

CSB has released a final report on the massive steam explosion that caused a 2,000-pound vessel to become airborne. CSB published this statement on the fatal incidenta: “A massive steam explosion caused a steel vessel weighing approximately 2,000 pounds to launch itself into the air. The initial explosion killed one worker and critically injured another. The vessel flew several hundred feet and landed on a nearby company, fatally injuring three members of the public.”

Read the full CSB release below: CSB Releases Final Report into 2017 Pressure Vessel Explosion at Loy-Lange Box Company in St. Louis.

Washington, D.C. August 2, 2022 – The CSB has released its final report into a 2017 explosion that occurred at the Loy-Lange box company in St. Louis, MO and resulted in the death of four people. The incident occurred when a pressure vessel catastrophically failed fatally injuring one employee at the company and launching the pressure vessel from the building and through the roof of a nearby business, fatally injuring three members of the public.

The Chemical Safety Board investigated and found that over the course of many years, an area of the failed pressure vessel had thinned due to a known corrosion mechanism that was poorly controlled.  The CSB also found that Loy-Lange repeatedly ignored clear warnings that corrosion was causing major problems within its operations. In fact, prior to its failure, Loy- Lange ran the pressure vessel normally despite knowing that it was leaking.

CSB Interim Executive Steve Owens said, “A tragic series of circumstances contributed to the explosion at Loy-Lange: ineffective corrosion management, poor pressure vessel repair, a lack of inspections of the vessel, and the absence of sound safety management systems. Those factors led to a severely corroded pressure vessel that presented a serious safety hazard but was allowed to operate until it ultimately failed, taking the lives of four people.”

The CSB determined that the cause of the explosion was deficiencies in Loy-Lange’s operations, policies, and process safety practices that failed to prevent or mitigate chronic corrosion.

Furthermore, the CSB determined that contributing to the incident was the City of St. Louis’s missed opportunities to identify and ensure proper inspections, identify an inadequate repair and existing gaps in inspection requirements. 

As a result of its findings the CSB identified four safety issues and is issuing recommendations to Loy-Lange, the City and Mayor of St. Louis, the inspection company Arise, and the National Board of Boiler and Pressure Vessel Inspectors.  

Through TapRooT® RCA Training, we can help your management understand how advanced root cause analysis works and how it can help your site/company achieve excellence.

It starts with a FREE executive briefing. Visit our Executive Portal to request a free, 1-hour Executive Briefing. TapRooT® Root Cause Analysis was developed to meet the proven requirements for systematic root cause analysis. We can help you implement the proven TapRooT® process. Dan Verlinde prepared this graphic to help you implement TapRooT® Root Cause Analysis in your improvement process. We will work with you to develop your custom plan.

Register for a TapRooT® Root Cause Analysis Training Course.

TapRooT® Root Cause Analysis Training courses are taught all over the world. If you are interested in learning how to stop repeat incidents, find a 2-day or 5-day course.  We are available to train you and your staff on-site at your workplace; contact us to discuss your needs. You may also call us at 865.539.2139.

Categories
Accident, Investigations
-->
Show Comments

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *