Federal Investigators Head To Synthron Site

Federal investigators will be at the site of a chemical plant explosion in Morganton Wednesday.

The U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board said it's sending a team from Washington to assess the explosion and fire at Synthron Inc. to determine whether a formal investigation is needed.

An explosion struck the plant around 11:30 a.m. Tuesday, injuring more than a dozen workers.

The company is a subsidiary of Protex International, a French corporation which manufactures specialty chemicals in the United States, Europe, Asia and North Africa.

The CSB is an independent federal agency that investigates industrial chemical accidents. The agency's board members are appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate. CSB investigations look into all aspects of chemical accidents, including physical causes such as equipment failure as well as inadequacies in safety management systems, regulations, and industry standards.

The Board does not issue citations or fines but does make safety recommendations to plants, industry organizations, labor groups, and regulatory agencies such as OSHA and EPA.

The state Department of Environmental and Natural Resources fined Synthron $7,000 in 2002 for failing to maintain the site to minimize the possibility of release of hazardous waste. The company also was fined for failing to make an appropriate arrangement with a responding local hospital which might be needed in the event of an emergency.