I REFER to the explosion caused by leaking gas at the petrochemical plant owned by Petronas Chemicals Group Bhd (PetChem) in Pengerang, Johor. It was reported that the explosion was so loud that it could be heard within a radius of 50km from the petrochemical plant. Fortunately, only two men were injured.
The explosion occurred early on April 12 and I have been following the news and comments on the subject.
The Malaysian regulatory authority on occupational safety and petrochemical plant construction, the Department of Occupational Safety and Health, DOSH’s silence on the explosion is deafening.
It should be noted that the explosion happened during the commissioning stage of the newly-built petrochemical plant and not during normal production run after a year or two.
Was the petrochemical plant designed and built/fabricated using established engineering codes and standards? Were the construction and fabrication personnel like welders qualified and certified according qualification standards?
Investigations by DOSH and their findings, now at the commissioning stage, are most welcome.
The findings can help reduce normal production stage fires and explosions like the one that occurred at a chemical plant in China on March 21, which resulted in 78 deaths and 640 injured
Leo Paul
Malaysian Welding & Joining Society
