AB Specialty Silicones explosion

On May 3, 2019, a large explosion occurred at the AB Specialty Silicones chemical plant in Waukegan, Illinois, USA. The explosion killed four employees and wounded three others, and caused over $1,000,000 in damage.

The explosion was the result of the accidental mixing of two incompatible chemicals that ignited. In October 2019, the company was fined over $1,500,000 for willful violations, as cited by the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).

## Background

AB Specialty Silicones is a company that manufactures and distributes silicone, a polymer commonly used in the production of adhesives, insulation, sealants, and medicine. The company is headquartered at 3725 Hawthorn Court in Waukegan, Illinois.

## Explosion

On the night of May 3, 2019, nine employees were present within the facility. The previous day, they had begun manufacturing two batches of Acolbifene, or EM-652. The pH of the first patch was found to be too low. After adjustments were made to correct the pH, the batch was approved for distribution.

Workers began producing the second batch the next day. Several identical drums containing volatile chemicals were stored in the same area. One of the employees misidentified a drum and mixed its contents with incompatible chemicals, creating a highly flammable hydrogen gas. The gas then began to foam and spilled out of a steel container. Fog filled the facility, and supervisors Jeff Cummings and Byron Biehn ordered the building to be ventilated. Employees Daniel Nicklas and Allen Stevens were also inside the facility. At around 9:35 PM, the gas ignited and caused a massive explosion.

Cummings, Biehn, and Nicklas were killed instantly by the blast. Stevens sustained severe burns and was transported to Loyola University Medical Center, where he died the next day. The blast was heard and felt by residents as far as 15 miles (24.14 km) away. Large amounts of debris covered the surrounding streets and stretched several blocks. Over 100 firefighters from Lake County and Cook County were dispatched to the scene.

Of the other five employees, three were wounded, while the other two sustained no injuries. One of the three injured workers was in critical condition, but later recovered.

### Fatalities

In the immediate aftermath, the bodies of Cummings and Biehn were found beneath the rubble. The body of Nicklas was discovered on May 8.

* Byron Biehn, 53
* Jeff Cummings, 57
* Daniel Nicklas, 24
* Allen Stevens Jr., 29

## Aftermath

Five other buildings in the surrounding area were damaged by the explosion. In total, the explosion had caused over $1,000,000 in damage. An initial investigation into the accident was inconclusive. The plant reopened on May 13, but was closed periodically over the coming months.

In October 2019, five months after the disaster, OSHA cited AB Specialty Silicones with 12 safety violations. The company was fined $1,591,176 and was placed on the Severe Violator Enforcement Program. The investigators also noted that certain electrical equipment used by the plant did not comply with OSHA standards. Forklifts used in the plant were fueled by liquid propane, which had the potential to ignite the flammable materials they were used to carry.

On April 28, 2022, the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (USCSB) released a video on YouTube detailing the cause of the explosion and its effects.

A lawsuit filed by the Illinois Attorney General in May 2019 alleged that the explosion resulted in the release of harmful amounts of chemicals into the environment. This lawsuit was settled 3 years later, when AB Specialty Silicones agreed to stop manufacturing certain products.

## Citations

1. ↑ https://www.lakemchenryscanner.com/2022/06/15/company-reaches-agreement-in-lawsuit-brought-by-attorney-general-for-explosion-that-killed-4-at-waukegan-plant/