Archive for June 9th, 2009

Building collapse in NC

Tuesday, June 9th, 2009

Working with chemicals in an industrial setting can be dangerous.  Take this example from North Carolina today, where 20 were hospitalized after an explosion and building collapse:

GARNER, N.C. (AP) — Three people were missing and 20 taken to hospitals after an explosion at a Slim Jim meat products plant in North Carolina, officials said Tuesday.

[…]

“There is a toxic cloud on and about the plant,” Williams said.

[…]

The site produces Slim Jim products. Williams said several people reported hearing an explosion before the building partially collapsed.

The toxic cloud is probably ammonia – very nasty to breathe.  (The article mentions an ammonia leak not yet being contained.)

In true Internet fashion, there’s already a video of the cause of the explosion and collapse.  I’ve embedded it below.

(I do realize that  I’m going to Hell for this post. But I can’t help it; this was the first thing that came to mind when seeing the AP article about the collapse.)