Watson Grinding Fatal Explosion and Fire

Shortly before 4:30 a.m. on January 24, 2020, an explosion fatally injured two employees and injured two other employees at the Watson Grinding and Manufacturing Co. (“Watson Grinding”) facility in Houston, Texas [1]. A third individual, a nearby resident, died a week later, reportedly from injuries caused by the explosion. The explosion also injured other local residents and damaged hundreds of nearby structures, including homes and several businesses [1]. The explosion was fueled by propylene that had accidentally released and accumulated inside an enclosed workshop. Watson Grinding used propylene as fuel to apply protective coatings to metal parts.