Accident: Loy Lange Box Company Pressure Vessel Explosion
Location: Location: St. Louis , MO
Accident Occurred On: 04/03/2017 | Final Report Released On: 07/29/2022
Accident Type: Community Impact
Investigation Status: The CSB's final report was released at a public meeting on 7.29.2022.
A massive steam explosion caused a steel vessel weighing approximately 2,000 pounds to launch itself into the air. The initial explosion killed one worker and critically injured another. The vessel flew several hundred feet and landed on a nearby company, fatally injuring three members of the public.
Update company policies and/or procedures by including prescriptive elements in the boiler and pressure vessel repair and alteration inspection and acceptance process that would prevent the acceptance of a non-conforming repair or alteration.
Revise the City of St. Louis Mechanical Code to adopt a national consensus standard such as NBIC Part 2 to govern the requirements for inservice inspection of boilers and pressure vessels.
Revise the City of St. Louis Mechanical Code to require pressure vessel inspections be performed by a National Board of Boiler and Pressure Vessel Inspectors (NBBI) inservice (IS) commissioned inspector.
Develop and implement a comprehensive safety management system. Include in that system process safety elements recommended in industry guidance publications, such as the Center for Chemical Process Safety (CCPS) publication Guidelines for Risk Based Process Safety.
Engage a qualified third-party to conduct a comprehensive review or audit of Loy Lange’s regulatory compliance practices and current compliance status.
Implement an electronic records and data management system that preserves all critical company records, safety policies and procedures, and operational data. Ensure that such records are stored and can be accessed remotely in the event of a catastrophic incident
Distribute and communicate the findings of this report to all licensed stationary engineers and all registered boiler and pressure vessel owning/operating entities in the City of St. Louis.
Update NB-263 Rules for Commissioned Inspectors to include prescriptive elements in the boiler and pressure vessel repair and alteration inspection and acceptance process that would prevent the acceptance of a non-conforming repair.