Paper and Pulp Industry Incidents¶
Paper and pulp mills operate continuous high-temperature processes involving wood dust, white liquor, and combustible gases under conditions where equipment failures or upsets can escalate rapidly. CSB investigations in this sector reveal how pressure vessel failures and combustible dust fires have caused fatalities in operations considered routine by plant personnel.
5 CSB investigations in this database cover the paper and pulp sector, spanning 1998–2024.
Paper and Pulp Industry Incidents (5)¶
| Incident | Date | Location | Key Hazards |
|---|---|---|---|
| Evergreen Packaging Paper Mill - Fire During Hot Work | 09/21/2020 | Canton, NC | Fire |
| Packaging Corporation Storage Tank Explosion | 07/29/2008 | Tomahawk, WI | Explosion, Fire |
| Loy Lange Box Company Pressure Vessel Explosion | 04/03/2017 | St. Louis , MO | Explosion, Overpressure |
| Packaging Corporation of America Hot Work Explosion | 02/08/2017 | Deridder, LA | Explosion, Fire |
| Georgia-Pacific Corp. Hydrogen Sulfide Poisoning | 01/16/2002 | Pennington, AL | Hydrogen Sulfide Release, Toxic Release |
Frequently Involved Hazard Types¶
Fire · Explosion · Structural Failure · Overpressure · Hydrogen Sulfide Release · Toxic Release
Most Common Chemicals Involved¶
Flammable Liquid, Flammable Gas, Oxygen, Peroxide, Hydrogen, Natural Gas
Data sourced from CSB.gov public investigation reports. This site is an independent project not affiliated with the U.S. CSB.