On March 15, 2018, an explosion rocked the Tri-Chem Industries plant in Cresson, Texas. The subsequent fire continued to burn into the week end. The fire prevented the recovery of the body of a worker who is presumed dead. On Saturday,
Cresson Mayor and Assistant Fire Chief Bob Cornett said "They've pulled everybody out. It's just too dangerous." The missing worker was identified as 27-year old Dylan Mitchell. Two other workers were injured. One of them remained in the hospital on Saturday with severe burns from the waist up.
Founded in 1989, Tri-Chem Industries is a manufacturer and distributor of specialty chemicals for food and industrial applications. It produces a full line of antifoams/defoamers, silicone emulsions, phosphoric acid, phosphate derivatives, and custom blending solutions.
This incident highlights the dangerous conditions in the petrochemical processing industry. Fires and explosions occur regularly in Texas petrochemical plants, sometimes with deadly consequences. The injured workers and family members of Dylan Mitchell are, in all likelihood, eligible for workers' compensation benefits. Many such explosions however, can be traced to safety violations or the negligence of third-parties such as equipment suppliers or service and repair companies. If this is the case in the Tri-Chem explosion, the workers and family members could be able to obtain additional compensation via a third-party lawsuit against the negligent party or parties.