Sep 18, 2026 · 29 min · 13 segments
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Carol HolzapfelHostDarylyn Brewer-HofstadGuest
Julie GrantDrew JohnsonGuestZoe Reid
Reed FrazierJames ModernGuest
The U.S. Chemical Safety Board has found inadequate safety and training protocols led to an explosion and fire at Shell's Beaver County plastics plant in June 2025.
The Allegheny Front's Reed Frazier reports the accident caused $95 million in damages.
The Chemical Safety Board said the explosion happened when employees inadvertently opened two valves while performing maintenance on a furnace.
This allowed ethylene to accumulate near a lit flame and ignite, releasing over 5,000 pounds of the highly flammable gas.
The agency said the employees lacked adequate training and safety protocols.
Hillary Starcher O'Toole of Beaver County Marcellus Awareness Community says the explosion could have been much worse.
The fact that all of these things are dependent on human controls and human error and some of these individuals may not be trained properly, that's really terrifying.
In a statement, the company said it has taken steps to improve plant safety since the explosion.
The U.S. Chemical Safety Board has found inadequate safety and training protocols led to an explosion and fire at Shell's Beaver County plastics plant in June 2025.
The Allegheny Front's Reed Frazier reports the accident caused $95 million in damages.
The Chemical Safety Board said the explosion happened when employees inadvertently opened two valves while performing maintenance on a furnace.
This allowed ethylene to accumulate near a lit flame and ignite, releasing over 5,000 pounds of the highly flammable gas.
The agency said the employees lacked adequate training and safety protocols.
Hillary Starcher O'Toole of Beaver County Marcellus Awareness Community says the explosion could have been much worse.
The fact that all of these things are dependent on human controls and human error and some of these individuals may not be trained properly, that's really terrifying.
In a statement, the company said it has taken steps to improve plant safety since the explosion.
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