Cascades Pulp & Paper

(making my 100th location a banger)

1988: Tragedy Strikes

A narrative retelling.

A tragedy occurring is perhaps an unsurprising event for a paper mill that has existed for almost a century, and that is what happened on July 12, 1988. The fatality report did not skip out on any details in the retelling of the incident.

“On July 12, 1988 the three welders were working on top of the tank installing catwalks and safety railings. At approximately 1:36 pm there was an explosion involving this white water tank which caused this tank with dimensions of 32 feet in diameter and 38 feet in height to be raised approximately 70 feet in the air and then 50 feet to one side onto the roof of the papermill. One of the welders was off to the side of the tank working on a catwalk and somewhat miraculously survived with minimal injury. The two other workers who were on the roof of the white water tank at the time of the explosion were hurled each in excess of 300 feet. One of them was thrown into the Trent River and the other completely across the pulp and paper mill onto a paved work area on the opposite side of the paper mill.”

As morbid as it seems, the ludicrous nature of the event would have been almost comical in its absurdity if it weren’t for the gravity of the situation. It’s fair to say being launched over 300 feet into the Trent River seems like a shitty way to go out.

The fatality report describes the incident as “completely unexpected”, as the tank essentially only contained only water and trace amounts of cellulose, making explosion seem impossible. The oxyacetylene that the welders had on them at the time were not in use, and even if they were an explosion of that magnitude was impossible.

The author of the report stated that the nature of the explosion was “a completely unexplained phenomenon without previous precedent”. While that may seem like a skirting of responsibility, there was an aspect of truth to that as well. There was no record of any paper mills in the past having similar incidents under comparable circumstances.

Despite that, an incident to this degree cannot be ignored, as having workers launched into oblivion is not a good look for OHSA. Investigations ensued, and a theory was created. Ultimately, the incident can be attributed to four factors, all simultaneously working together to create a disaster. The four variables can be broken down separately, for both comprehension and dramatic effect.

1. The planned shutdown. Approximately 15 minutes before the explosion, a planned shutdown was in effect. Production is stopped, the paper machines deactivated, and the systems begin to flush themselves.

2. Water levels rise, as the white-water tanks stop draining and the pipes leading into the tanks flush more and more water inside. Flushes, showers, and cooling systems all contribute to the influx.

3. A mixture of gases, unnoticed by the workers, have quietly been building up since the last shutdown. The rise of the water levels traps the gas in the upper portion of the tanks, as it compresses more and more as the water levels rise.

4. The heat from a weld. Three workers, oblivious to the threat, take a break from welding as the plant shuts down. However, the metal of the tank has not nearly enough time to disperse to the heat. The pressure of the gases builds, pushing against the hot metal.

The minutes leading up to the explosion was the quiet before the storm, all the while as pressure was building in the tanks. The gases continued to compress, and the hot metal acted as the ignition point in conjunction with the trapped gases. Disaster occurs as a massive explosion shakes the ground. The three welders, standing directly on top of the tank, were hurled from the explosion. As described in the report, the third worker was flung by the explosion and miraculously landed on a nearby catwalk. The other two were less fortunate.