The Incident
On April 17, 2013, a fire at the West Fertilizer Company storage facility in West, Texas ignited approximately 40-60 tonnes of improperly stored ammonium nitrate. The resulting explosion was so powerful it registered as a 2.1 magnitude earthquake and left a crater 28 metres wide and 3 metres deep.
Fifteen people were killed — including 12 first responders who had entered the facility to fight the initial fire. More than 200 people were injured, and 350 homes were damaged or destroyed. A nearby school, nursing home, and apartment complex were devastated.
What Went Wrong
The investigation revealed catastrophic failures in hazardous materials management:
- Ammonium nitrate was stored in wooden bins inside a non-fire-resistant building
- The facility had not been inspected by federal regulators in years
- Workers and first responders were not adequately informed about the explosive potential of the stored materials
- Emergency response plans did not account for the possibility of a mass detonation
- The community was not aware of the quantity of explosive material stored nearby
How WHMIS Training Could Have Helped
While this incident occurred in the United States, the lessons are directly applicable to Canadian workplaces:
Oxidizer Pictogram (Flame Over Circle): Ammonium nitrate is classified as an oxidizer — it provides oxygen that can intensify fires and cause explosions. The flame over circle pictogram signals this specific danger. WHMIS training ensures workers understand that oxidizers require special storage away from combustible materials.
Exploding Bomb Pictogram: Under certain conditions, ammonium nitrate can detonate. The exploding bomb pictogram indicates materials with explosive potential. Workers trained in WHMIS understand that these materials require specialized handling, storage, and emergency procedures.
SDS Section 7 — Handling and Storage: The SDS for ammonium nitrate specifies storage requirements including temperature control, separation from incompatible materials, and fire-resistant construction. WHMIS training teaches workers to consult and follow these requirements.
SDS Section 5 — Firefighting Measures: The SDS for ammonium nitrate explicitly warns that fighting fires involving this material requires special procedures and that evacuation may be the safest option. First responders trained in WHMIS principles would have known the extreme danger of entering the facility.
Hazard Communication to Community: WHMIS principles extend to ensuring that emergency responders and the surrounding community understand the hazards present at a facility. This information sharing could have saved the lives of the 12 first responders who entered the building.
Twelve first responders died because they didn't know what they were walking into. Hazard communication saves lives — not just for workers, but for everyone in the community.
Source: Multiple sources; U.S. Chemical Safety Board investigation