Document 7MdDXEQa9O63EmGo29R49E65o

B.F. Goodrich Chemical Company Inter-Organization Correspondence To D. Dowell Location Cleveland Date February 7, 1967 From n. r. Aquino ft* a Subject Monomer Escape from Itanhead of Poly 10, February 4, 1967 At approximately 5:00 AM on Friday, February 4, 1967, a 1100 gallon SS reactor, charged with 2400 lb. vinyl chloride monomer for a Geon 100 X 29 charge, vented to the roan past a blown manhead gasket. The reactor had been heated to 139F. when the lead-asbestos gasket blew out causing the entire charge to vent. All personnel left the building for a twenty-minute period after activating the * building emergency vent fans. The following facts were established at a meeting held at 8:30 AM that day. 1. The reactor had been cleaned and headed up by a chemical helper with about 90 days service whose work to date had been princi pally bagging and who was being trained in the reactor area. 2. The helper had failed to install 2 adjacent reactor manhead studs with nuts attached. 3. The lead-asbestos gasket had been used for approximately three prior charges; the gasket was only partially flattened. 4. The 2 missing studs permitted the gasket to deform sufficiently to release the charge through the 2 open stud holes on the lid. The following action has been taken; 1. Reasons for the lost charge have been discussed with all foremen with directions to reinstruct their charge operators. Emphasis will be placed on this incident at the weekly Safety Meetings. 2. production employees have been informed that Supervision will insist that vinyl monomer is not to be charged to a reactor which has manhead studs or nuts missing. 3. Poly studs presently have a service life of 2 - 4 years, after which time the threads become worn and the stud has to be replaced. The experience of other plants will be BP a- l 51 43 NGC 15576 Xs B.F. Goodrich Chemical Company Inter-Organization Correspondence To d. Dowell Location Cleveland Dare From February 7, 1967 R Aquino Subject (Con.) Monomer Escape from Manhead of Poly 10, February 4, 1967 investigated and higher strength, greater near-resistant studs will be sought. 4. Production will be provided with a thread die to chase the threads as necessary to be sure that the studs are not removed from the vessel pad. 5* Sane studs have been tack-nelded in the past to hold them in place. This is undesirable and adhesives such as Lock-tite will be used to hold the studs. NA/kl cc: A. Vittone - H. D. Scott J. L. Nelson W. L. Cato Nick Aquino NGC 15577