United Steelworkers Union Calls for Industry-wide Phase-out of Hydrogen Fluoride in Oil Refinery

[Omaha Steve]

Source: USW News

Pittsburgh - The United Steelworkers (USW) announced today that it is calling for the nationwide phase-out of hydrogen fluoride alkylation units.

“Hydrogen fluoride is such a deadly component, and there are new and safer technologies available,” said USW Vice President Gary Beevers, who is in charge of the union’s oil sector.

“It’s a matter of health and safety to us. It’s a matter of money to the industry. We think they should change to a safer alternative,” Beevers added.

Hydrogen fluoride is an acid used as a catalyst in the alkylation unit to make high-octane petroleum and is deadly in large amounts. The chemical turns into hydrofluoric acid when it is in contact with moisture and becomes an extremely corrosive liquid and contact poison that burns skin, tissue and eyes. It rapidly penetrates tissues and can cause systemic toxicity, damaging the heart and lungs and causing death. Under the right conditions, a large release could form a lethal plume of acid vapors that could extend for miles downwind, putting thousands of people at risk.

Read more: http://www.usw.org/media_center/releases_advisories?id=0207

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Full story at link. Contact: Lynne Baker, USW Communications, (o) 615-831-6782, (c) 615-828-6169

[Liberal Veteran]

1. They can have my Hydrogen Fluoride when they pry it from....

....where my hands used to be when I could still handle the stuff.

[Mopar151]

2. I have this awful sinking feeling

That there is a lot more of this sort of thing around - based on what I saw as a Praxair employee backalong. Maybe hazardous process/material tracking is something we can do with the laid-off DEA agents and redundant insurance co. managers.....

[truthisfreedom]

3. Hydrofluoric acid??? OMFG. That stuff is so nasty.

It's horrible horrible horrible. I worked with it in the semiconductor industry in the 80s and it made me have nightmares. You don't necessarily know when you've been exposed to it, and by the time you have symptoms, it's far too late.