The West Explosion: Grounding Scientific Writing and Analytical Epidemiological Skills

The West Explosion Claimed Lives and Property but It was Avoidable

Introduction

Ammonium nitrate is added in many fertilizer mixtures as a source of nitrogen to plants. It increases growth and crop yields. But small quantities of carbon to ammonium nitrate can make it into a mining explosive. This is why it has to be stored under strict regulations (Nortech Lab, 2024; & Wiley, 2017)). Bad storage of Ammonium Nitrate led to the explosion at the West Fertilizer Company in West Town, Texas which killed 15 people and injured hundreds more in 2013.

No family, no household, no town, no city and no country should go through this trauma and debacle.

Fortunately, the U.S. has institutions in place to provide interventions, oversight and guidance on inspection and on siting of factories or plants as the inevitable move toward high industrialization takes place.

Overall safety first promotes universal health

In the case of the West Explosion, if proper safety regulations were followed in departments such as storage, siting of community buildings and fire safety precautions the debacle could have been avoided. Other safety regulations that needed to be heeded to include the proper siting of schools, long-term care homes and hospitality institutions next to manufacturing plants. An investigation by the Chemical Safety Board (CSB) found that the explosion could have caused more casualties if it had occurred during the day when people are moving about (Arnold, 2016).

Some tasks performed by the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR)

The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), protects communities from harmful health effects; provides and facilitates enforcement of policies such as “boil water only;” provides chemical comparison values in the air, soils and water; updates Reference dose media evaluation guides (RMEGs); develops Cancer risk evaluation guides (CREGs); health consultation; develops Environmental media evaluation guides (EMEGs) for chemicals based on their toxicity, frequency of occurrence at National Priorities List (NPL) sites, and potential for human exposure; facilitates the review of the extent of damage; and provides recommendation to further support (CDC [Center for Prevention and Disease Control],2024).

Conclusion

The West Explosion goes to show that communities everywhere are inexplicably connected and that what damages one are can affect another miles away. As the U.S. and the world at large are fast industrializing, there is need to establish a culture that motivates industrialists to establish accountability, safety and security that promotes quality life for all.

References

Arnold C. (2016). A Strong Case for Prudent School Siting: The West Fertilizer Company Explosion. Environmental health perspectives, 124(10), A187. https://doi.org/10.1289/ehp.124-A187CDC. (2024). Retrieved from https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/index.htmlNortech

Lab Reports. (2024). The Hazards and Dangers of Ammonium Nitrate. Retrieved from https://nortechlabs.com/customer-service/articles-press-releases/hazards-ammonium-nitrate/#:~:text=What%20are%20the%20potential%20hazards,of%20breath%2C%20or%20even%20suffocation.

Wiley, J. (2017). West Fertilizer Company fire and explosion: A summary of the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board. Journal of Loss Prevention in the Process Industries, Volume 49. Retrieved from https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0950423017305429