Pascagoula — DAP production has resumed at Mississippi Phosphates in Pascagoula, Miss., after a brief shutdown following the deaths of two workers and injuries to two others in separate accidents that occurred on May 21 and June 1. The two explosions are being investigated by federal teams and the company, which has hired an outside engineering consultant. “Mississippi Phosphates began a phased startup last Friday (June 8) after receiving input from an outside expert – Engineering Systems Inc. – as well as the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA),” Miss Phos said in a statement. “DAP production has resumed with safety our top priority.” Earlier, the company stated that it had hired Engineering Systems (ESI) of Aurora, Ill. to participate in the safety inspection and assist the ongoing investigation. The plant’s phased startup was scheduled after the company received input from OSHA and ESI. OSHA at Atlanta, Ga., dispatched a second team to the Pascagoula plant immediately after the June 1 incident, which reportedly occurred during a maintenance procedure in the same area where the May 21 accident occurred. An OSHA spokesman said the inspection must be concluded within six months after it begins, and there will be no preliminary or interim report, which is agency policy. There was no word if the company would be releasing ESI’s findings. During the temporary shutdown, Miss Phos had all of the facility’s approximately 250 employees report for work performing routine functions, including terminal operations, monitoring, safety, maintenance, and other activities. Meanwhile, the two injured workers have been released from hospitals. The two were taken to nearby Singing River Hospital, but one suffered severe burns and was transferred to the burn center at the University of South Alabama Medical Center in Mobile. He was discharged from the burn center on June 13.
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