Lessons from the Flixborough disaster:
1st June 1974: A large vapour cloud explosion hit the Flixborough Works of Nypro. The trigger? A release of the volatile and highly flammable liquid, cyclohexane. The release followed the failure of a temporary modification to the reactor process which had not been assessed or pressure tested.
The damage:
- The blast ripped through the plant
- 28 workers killed, 18 inside the control room
- 36 people injured
- Major damage spread offsite to over 2,000 properties, injuring 50+ people
Lessons to learn:
- Better control is always required with plant modifications
- Improved protection for control rooms
- Wider communication of major accident hazards
- Training and competency improvements
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