Texas City, Texas also known as toxic city is a booming industrial area surrounded by the most significant ports in the Galveston Bay for the shipping community, and is surrounded by oil refineries and chemical plants (Ferling, 1996, p.48). Additionally, it is a city all too familiar with industrial accidents. However, nothing will ever compare to the most devastating industrial accident the state of Texas and America has ever seen; the 1947 Texas City Explosion. An article entitled “Texas City Disaster” written by John Ferling, describes the events leading up to the explosion that impacted Texas City. In this article review I summarize the writer’s purpose for writing the article, identify contributing factors causing the disaster, explain
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The chemical storage facility, Monsanto, lost 234 of its 574 workers after the facility exploded (Burke, 2007, p.41). Twenty-seven of the city’s volunteer firefighters were killed (Burke, 2007). Three thousand people were left homeless (Ferling, 1996). Fifty-five businesses were totally destroyed or damaged (Ferling, 1996). Freeport, Texas which was 25 miles away from Texas City was affected (Ferling, 1996). 500 homes were destroyed and hundreds damaged, leaving a total of two thousand people homeless, 581 dead, and 3,500 injured ( Burke, …show more content…
The first development was the increase in awareness and knowledge of hazards and chemicals, effective communication, planning, organization, and periodic exercises. New York was the first to implement these changes, followed by and several other cities. These areas “prohibited ships carrying ammonium nitrate from entering their harbors” (Ferling, 1996). Additionally, the Coast Guard began banning ships carrying explosive carriers from docking in thickly populated areas four months after the disaster (Ferling, 1996). New standards were developed regarding the storage, handling, and shipping of ammonium nitrate and prohibiting its storage near known reactive materials (Burke, 2007). Refineries in the Texas City and other industrial areas nationwide formed a mutual aid system as part of a plan to prevent future disasters (Burke,
The chemical storage facility, Monsanto, lost 234 of its 574 workers after the facility exploded (Burke, 2007, p.41). Twenty-seven of the city’s volunteer firefighters were killed (Burke, 2007). Three thousand people were left homeless (Ferling, 1996). Fifty-five businesses were totally destroyed or damaged (Ferling, 1996). Freeport, Texas which was 25 miles away from Texas City was affected (Ferling, 1996). 500 homes were destroyed and hundreds damaged, leaving a total of two thousand people homeless, 581 dead, and 3,500 injured ( Burke, …show more content…
The first development was the increase in awareness and knowledge of hazards and chemicals, effective communication, planning, organization, and periodic exercises. New York was the first to implement these changes, followed by and several other cities. These areas “prohibited ships carrying ammonium nitrate from entering their harbors” (Ferling, 1996). Additionally, the Coast Guard began banning ships carrying explosive carriers from docking in thickly populated areas four months after the disaster (Ferling, 1996). New standards were developed regarding the storage, handling, and shipping of ammonium nitrate and prohibiting its storage near known reactive materials (Burke, 2007). Refineries in the Texas City and other industrial areas nationwide formed a mutual aid system as part of a plan to prevent future disasters (Burke,