Chemical Spill Causes Evacuations in Waxahatchie

Employees at the Magnablend Inc., plant were evacuated Monday afternoon after a chemical spill led to an explosion and poisonous gas cloud.

The chemical plant, located in Ellis County just south of Dallas, confirmed that nearly 70 employees and residents of two nearby homes were evacuated after the spill. The evacuation has expanded to a 1.5 mile radius around the site.

According to NBC 5, the plant received a load of 300 plastic containers of sodium chloride. A chemical reaction with one of the containers occurred, and the plastic containers began to rupture. As a result, the chemicals soon exploded, though there was no report of any fires. A large cloud of chlorine gas was released into the air. So far, there are no reported injuries.

The same Magnablend, Inc., plant has had problems with handling volatile chemicals before. In 2011, nearby schools and residences were evacuated after a massive fire. Investigators later found that Magnablend should have known that the chemicals they were mixing could produce a flammable gas cloud, and concluded that the incident could have been avoided with better maintenance or engineering protocols.

Any time hazardous chemicals spill, there is the potential for injury. If your job requires you to work with dangerous substances, make sure you are using the proper safety precautions. If you are injured on the job because your company’s safety practices were lacking or because employees or management were negligent, you have the right to sue for compensation for your injuries.

The personal injury lawyers at Anderson, Cummings & Drawhorn, LLP understand the special needs of people who work in dangerous jobs, and will help you and your family recover the compensation you deserve after an injury.

Do you have a claim after a chemical spill? Get expert advice now by calling (817) 920-9000 to set up your free appointment today.