BP Amoco Thermal Decomposition Incident

On 13 March 2001, a fatal incident occurred at the BP Amoco Polymers plant in Augusta, Georgia, which produced "Amodel," a high-performance nylon material. Following an aborted startup of the production line, a large volume of partially reacted polymer was sent to a 500-gallon waste vessel known as a polymer catch tank (KD-502A). Unbeknownst to the staff, the hot plastic inside the tank continued to react and decompose, a process that generated significant amounts of gas and caused the material to foam.

The CSB investigation identified a critical technical failure: as the foaming plastic rose, it entered the tank's vent lines and pressure gauge ports, where it solidified. This created a "plug" that completely isolated the pressure gauge from the internal environment of the tank. When a maintenance team arrived to clean out the vessel roughly 18 hours later, the pressure gauge read zero. Believing the tank was at atmospheric pressure and the contents were solid, the workers began to unbolt the 44-bolt flange cover.

When approximately half of the bolts were removed, the internal pressure—estimated to be significantly higher than the vessel's design limit—violently blew the cover off. The release expelled molten plastic at temperatures exceeding 260°C, killing three workers instantly. The force of the explosion also ruptured nearby Dowtherm (heat transfer fluid) lines, which ignited and caused a secondary fire that lasted several hours.

The inquiry's "Root Causes" focused on a lack of Reactive Hazard Recognition. BP Amoco had not conducted a formal hazard analysis of the catch tank during "abnormal" conditions, such as an aborted startup. Consequently, operating procedures did not account for the fact that Amodel could decompose and pressurise a vessel if left for extended periods. The report also noted that "near-miss" incidents—where drains had plugged or minor fires had occurred in the past—were not adequately investigated to identify the underlying danger of thermal decomposition.