Belle, W.Va.-DuPont’s in-house investigation of a death in January at the company’s Belle plant has concluded that several factors combined to cause a hose failure that led to the fatal incident. The DuPont statement issued at the conclusion of the investigation said the victim, Danny Fish, had entered the phosgene building to take a reading when the failure occurred, causing him to be exposed. “Our investigation concluded that several factors combined to cause the hose to fail, including the length of time the hose was in service, physical corrosion concealed by the manufacturer’s label, and pressure buildup in the line.” These findings, including the review of operating procedures, examination of physical evidence, and interviews with employees, have been submitted to EPA and other state and federal agencies. “As an outcome of these investigations we have been putting measures in place to improve our processes and prevent similar incidents in the future,” continued the statement. The report stated that many of these measures are complete, while others are ongoing. DuPont also has made improvements in emergency response systems, including installing a dedicated phone line between the site and Metro 911 and conducting an emergency response drill with county emergency response and planning officials to test capabilities and further strengthen communication protocols. State and federal agencies, including the Chemical Safety Board, OSHA, and EPA, are still in the process of conducting their own investigations.
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