NARROWS, VA – An acetic acid vapor release is the cause of six employee injuries in Narrows Thursday morning according to Celanese.
Four employees were transported to the hospital, where two remain in stable condition, and one has since been released.
″They’ve had an accident on site there in a welding in a tank. There’s multiple injuries and that’s all. That’s the rest of the information that we have at this point,” the dispatcher who took the 911 call said.
This excerpt from a call received by dispatchers around 10 a.m. Thursday reported an unspecified incident at Celanese in Narrows.
“They indicated there were six injuries. Our emergency services responded to those injuries. Four of those individuals were transported to area hospitals,” Giles County Administrator Chris McKlarney said.
McKlarney says contrary to initial social media reports; a vapor release was the sole incident.
“The contaminants have all been contained within an area. That area has actually already been cleaned up now, so there’s no risk to employees,” he said.
Celanese confirmed this to in a statement, adding: “Our emergency response plan has been activated, appropriate agencies have been notified, and we are fully cooperating with first responders who are on scene. All other site employees have been accounted for.”
Along with community emergency resources, Celanese has their own on-site - leading to a quick response time.
“This is something that we drill for on a routine basis. We’re very familiar with them. The response couldn’t have gone any better,” McKlarney said.
According to the U.S. Department of Energy this plant has around 1,000 workers.
The plant manufactures Cellulose Acetate which is used in a variety of household and industrial items.
“Celanese has an impeccable safety record. They stress safety as much as anywhere I’ve ever been. You can’t walk through the plant without watching safety videos, actually taking a test,” McKlarney said.
We reached back out to Celenase to find out if there have been any other incidents at the plant in recent years but have not heard back from them.
However, in a search on OSHA’S website, we found there have been five complaints since 2016 citing safety concerns, but no violations resulting in a fine.
Celanese says the incident is being immediately investigated.
Their full statement can be found below.
“At approximately 10:00 a.m. ET on March 20, a release of acetic acid vapor occurred in the Cellulose Acetate Unit at Narrows, Virginia, initially causing injuries to six employees. The release has been contained and is confined to the immediate area of the plant within the fenceline; no additional impact is expected.
Our emergency response plan has been activated, appropriate agencies have been notified, and we are fully cooperating with first responders who are on scene. All other site employees have been accounted for.
Our top priority right now is to ensure the safety of our employees, responders, and the local community.
The cause of the incident will be investigated immediately following the completion of this emergency response.”
Jamaison Schuler, Global Communications
