Industrial Incidents Caused by Corrosion¶
Corrosion-induced failures documented by the CSB involve both external atmospheric corrosion and internal process-side attack — often in piping and vessels excluded from the facility's risk-based inspection program. These investigations reveal how underfunded inspection programs and inadequate inspection intervals allowed corrosion to reach critical levels undetected.
Incidents (15)¶
| Incident | Date | Location | Key Hazards |
|---|---|---|---|
| NDK Crystal Inc. Explosion with Offsite Fatality | 12/07/2009 | Belvidere, IL | Explosion, Overpressure |
| First Chemical Corp. Reactive Chemical Explosion | 10/13/2002 | Pascgoula, MS | Runaway Reaction, Explosion |
| DPC Enterprises Festus Chlorine Release | 08/14/2002 | Festus, MO | Chemical Release, Toxic Release |
| Chevron Richmond Refinery Pipe Rupture and Fire | 08/06/2012 | Richmond, CA | Chemical Release, Fire |
| Honeywell Chemical Incidents | 07/20/2003 | Baton Rouge, LA | Chemical Release, Toxic Release |
| Motiva Enterprises Sulfuric Acid Tank Explosion | 07/17/2001 | Delaware City, DE | Explosion, Fire |
| Philadelphia Energy Solutions (PES) Refinery Fire and Explosions | 06/21/2019 | Philadelphia, PA | Chemical Release, Explosion |
| Loy Lange Box Company Pressure Vessel Explosion | 04/03/2017 | St. Louis , MO | Explosion, Overpressure |
| Tesoro Anacortes Refinery Fatal Explosion and Fire | 04/02/2010 | Anacortes, WA | Explosion, Fire |
| Tosco Avon Refinery Petroleum Naphtha Fire | 02/23/1999 | Martinez, CA | Fire, Flash Fire |
| Hoeganaes Corporation Fatal Flash Fires | 01/31/2011 | Gallatin, TN | Flash Fire, Dust Explosion |
| Honeywell Geismar Chlorine and Hydrogen Fluoride Releases | 01/23/2023 | Geismar, LA | Chemical Release, Explosion |
| DuPont Belle Toxic Chemical Releases | 01/23/2010 | Belle, WV | Toxic Release, Chemical Release |
| Silver Eagle Refinery Flash Fire and Explosion and Catastrophic Pipe Explosion | 01/12/2009 | Woods Cross, UT | Flash Fire, Explosion |
| Freedom Industries Chemical Release | 01/09/2014 | Charleston, WV | Chemical Release, Toxic Release |
Common Patterns¶
Across these 15 investigations, the CSB consistently found corrosion alongside these co-occurring failure modes, industries, and hazard types:
Co-occurring failure modes: Design Deficiency · Inspection Failure · Procedural Failure · Maintenance Error · Management of Change Failure
Primary industries: Chemical Manufacturing, Petroleum Refining, Transportation
Associated hazard types: Chemical Release · Explosion · Fire · Structural Failure
Data sourced from CSB.gov public investigation reports. This site is an independent project not affiliated with the U.S. CSB.