Borden Chemical Plant Explosion - 1973

Explosion Rocks Borden Chemical Plant

January 1973

 

 

Left, recently built (at the time) Resin Pan Storage building

Center: Skeletal framework of what remains of the Resin Grinding Room

Right:  Warehouse

Bainbridge:  An explosion at 1:10 a.m., Saturday, January 27, at the Bordon Chemical plant in Bainbridge caused extensive damage to the plant.  The explosion was followed by a fire.  Extensive damage was done to the Powdered Resin Plant and it could take nine to twelve months to redesign and rebuild an all-new system, incorporating all known safety features and devices.  The company will have to make some adjustments in the labor force while repairs are being made.

Elmer's Glue operations were not affected.  The spray drying system suffered some minor damage and it is expected to be operable within several weeks.  products affected were spray dried powders used in the woodworking industry and ground phenolic resins used in the frictional, abrasive and foundry trades.

Normal shift assignment placed four men in the Grinding Room at the west end of the plant.  People normally assigned to the room for that shift were Tommy Rieman and Bob Curtis, grinding operators, and James Curtis and Ernest Cowley, helpers.  Immediately prior to the explosion, Rieman had gone to the maintenance shop to pick up a small tool, Cawley and James Curtis had gone to the lunch room for a coffee break, and Bob Curtis had gone to the foreman's office in an adjoining building to receive instructions for the succeeding batch of materials to be ground. Fortunately no one was in the Mill Room when the explosion occurred.

Three men suffered minor injuries in the explosion.  In the Powder Plant Control Laboratory were Joe Jural, resin chemist and a member of the Development Laboratory under the management of Mr. Rinker; Leo Pratt, lab technician, and Richard Chupak, foreman in charge of the shift in the Powdered Resin Plant.  Of the three, Jural received a cut on the back of his head that required suturing, Pratt sustained a cut on the forehead that also required suturing, and Chupak was blown out of the building onto the loading platform.  He picked himself up from the platform, sustaining only bodily bruises.  All three were taken to The Hospital where they were treated and discharged. The following day, Jural was re-examined and found to have a broken rib.

Immediately after the blaze, Borden Fire Brigade, consisting of Tim Rieman, Charles Leonard and Gary Reynolds responded and had hose playing on the affected area before the Bainbridge Fire Department arrived on the scene. According to an official of the Fire Department "These men did a whale of a job in holding the fire down until we could get into position to fight the fire."  Foreman Chupak also re-entered the building to see if everyone was accounted for, and an immediate head count assured that the area had been cleared.  The first Borden management on the scene were Bob Craver, Casein Plant Manager an dDave Ireland, plant engineer.

The immediate cause of the explosion has not been determined, but a Borden investigation is underway.  Plant officials state that the atmosphere in the Mill Room was clean and clear of dust.  The explosion occurred within the grinding system itself. At the time of the explosion, the grinder itself was not running, but the rest of the system (e.g. collection and blending) were in operation.  "Contrary to some reports," said plant officials, "in no way could there be an explosion or succession of explosions at the plant that could jeopardize the community or even our immediate neighbors."

The Bainbridge Fire Department as usual did an outstanding job not only in putting out the blaze, but containing the fire from spreading by using water to cool down adjoining areas.

Company officials were planning extensive renovations in the area where the explosion occurred.  These plans will of course now be revised.  The Borden Company wants to assure everyone in the community that everything possible is being done to return the plant to normal operation as soon as possible.

Looking east into plant, tall structure is what remains of the grinding operation, on left is pan storage, at right warehousing area.

Most severe damage occurred in this corner of the building.  The room on the left side is the washroom, next to it is the lab where the three men were located who were injured, and in the next room two men were having a coffee break.

 

Skeletal remains of the grinding facilities and newly erected pan storage room