Two contractors were killed and three men were injured in an explosion on the morning of Wednesday, June 23, 1999, at Phillips Petroleum Company's K-Resin plant in its chemical complex at 1400 Jefferson Road, Pasadena, Texas 77506. An alarm sounded at 11:30 am when the blast occurred and a fire erupted. It took more than an hour for Phillips' onsite fire department to extinguish the blaze.[1]
Those killed were 24-year-old Juan Martinez and his uncle Jose Inez Rangel, who were performing a hydrostatic test on pipe until they were burned to death by 500-degree F molten plastic.[2] Both Martinez and Rangel were employed by Zachry Construction Corporation.[3]
Today, the facility continues to manufacture high-density polyethylene (HDPE), as well as K-Resin SBC.[4] This complex employs 750 workers for the production of specialty chemicals, including 150 operations and maintenance personnel.[5]
The facility also experienced fatalities in 1989 and 2000. A massive propane leak occurred on 25-Jun-2008 in a utility easement just outside plant property.[6][7] [8]
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