CSB Releases Safety Video Detailing 2021 Resin Kettle Explosion at Yenkin-Majestic

The U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) has released a new safety video analyzing the April 2021 explosion and fire at the Yenkin-Majestic Paint & Color Corp. resin facility in Columbus, Ohio. The incident killed one worker, injured eight others and burned for more than 11 hours. The animation and commentary expand on the findings of the CSB’s final report issued in November 2023.

According to CSB investigators, the event occurred during a batch resin operation when flammable solvent was inadvertently added to a low-pressure kettle with the agitator off. The solvent stratified over hot resin, vaporized rapidly once agitation resumed, and caused a sudden pressure increase that led to failure of a newly installed manway. A vapor cloud formed and ignited moments later, triggering a facility-wide fire.

Board member Sylvia Johnson states in the video that the manway “was not adequately designed, constructed, or pressure tested,” and that the company lacked engineered safeguards and emergency response planning to mitigate the consequences.

The video outlines three process safety lessons for operators, focusing primarily on mechanical integrity of low-pressure vessels, safeguarding engineered solutions and emergency response readiness. 

Recommendations were issued to Yenkin-Majestic, the American Petroleum Institute and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, regarding pressure boundary design, vessel testing expectations and industry guidance on low-pressure systems.

This is CSB’s third video released this year that re-enacts safety incidents as a training tool designed to inform industry professionals how to prevent potential accidents.  In September, the agency released a video on the 2019 ITC Dear Park tank farm fire in Texas, reviewing pump integrity failures, lack of detection and remote isolation, and regulatory gaps that amplified environmental impacts. Since the video’s launch, it has garnered nearly 350,000 views on YouTube. 

The agency also released in May of this year a video on the investigation into the fatal December 8, 2020, explosion at the Optima Belle chemical facility in Belle, West Virginia. The animated re-enactment has received nearly 400,000 views since its launch.

As part of a broader focus on improving chemical safety and risk mitigation across the industry, CSB also released a video on June 23 highlighting the role of safety in enhancing operational and economic performance. The video featured case studies and animations demonstrating how inadequate safety practices can result in severe financial losses, operational shutdowns and fatalities.

Since 2007, the CSB has released over 100 safety videos on its YouTube channel, @USCSB, garnering more than 70 million views combined and attracting over 400,000 subscribers.