Explosion at Royal Chemical Company injures 3 in Macedonia

MACEDONIA, Ohio (WJW) — One person suffered life-threatening burns but is expected to survive after what a fire official called “a tragic industrial accident” at a Macedonia chemical plant late Wednesday morning.

Macedonia firefighters responded at about 11:40 a.m. to at Royal Chemical Company along South Freeway Drive — near Interstate 271 — for a report of a tanker truck explosion, Macedonia Fire Chief Brian Ripley told reporters Wednesday afternoon.

The cause of the blast is under investigation.

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“We know it involves sodium hydroxide,” which is highly corrosive but not flammable, Ripley said. “We’re not exactly sure what happened yet.”

Sodium hydroxide is a caustic chemical made of solid white crystals, which can burn eyes and skin, according to the National Institute for Occupational Health and Safety.

Ripley said the tanker truck that exploded was parked next to two others outside the building, while it was being loaded. The driver of the truck parked in between the two others and was “sprayed with product,” suffering “critical, life-threatening burns” and was transported to a Cleveland hospital, he said.

Another person, a worker at the plant who ran inside after the explosion, was transported to the same hospital with “critical but non-life-threatening” injuries, Ripley said. Officials later learned the driver of the truck that exploded was also injured. He was being evaluated Wednesday afternoon, he said.

In an update Wednesday afternoon, officials said all three people injured are expected to survive.

Both of the company’s buildings were evacuated.

Footage sent back from SkyFOX showed a truck whose tank appeared to have been ripped open. Ripley said half of the tank ended up inside the building.

Ripley said fire officials believed some of the chemical was released into a small creek on the east side of the Royal Chemical facility, but officials later confirmed that the waterways haven’t been affected.

Macedonia police closed South Freeway Drive in both directions near the plant “until further notice,” according to an earlier notice from police. It is expected to reopen later Wednesday.

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Mayor Nick Molnar told reporters his office received several calls from concerned residents. But he reassured Wednesday afternoon that the area was safe.

“The people that live in our community are safe. There’s nothing in the air at this point that anyone should be concerned about,” he said. “Anyone living in this area or traveling through should know you are safe.”

All the city’s police officers and firefighters were on scene on Wednesday morning, along with a hazardous materials squad, according to a city spokesperson.

Royal Chemical has also contracted its own cleanup crew, Ripley said.

Employees who work at the company had to leave their cars in the parking lot so they can be decontaminated.

Also on scene Wednesday were the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency and the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio, Ripley said.

The owner of a nearby business says his employees saw the commotion, but did not hear the explosion.

“Scary, scary and worried about your employees, family because he have a lot of family members… making sure everybody’s safe and nobody’s in danger,” said Scott Filips, owner of SC Fastening Systems, LLC, which is down the street from the explosion.

Royal Chemical is a chemical mixer, packager and warehouse that ships in quantities large and small, according to its website. It’s maintained its Macedonia location for several decades and has a “good safety record,” Ripley said. It has other locations in Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas and California.

Back in January, a fiery crash of a fuel tanker at the merger of state Route 8 and Interstate 271 in Macedonia caused the ramp and bridge to close for days.

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