Kickstart: Gulf Coast chemical plants escape most storm damage

Storms in and around Houston on May 16 killed four people and resulted in more than 700,000 power outages but caused no major damage to plastics operations in the region.

Analysts with ICIS said in a post on its website that there were a couple of feedstock operations that were affected. TPC Group had power outages that led to flaring at its butadiene operations in Houston, while Lotte Chemical delayed the restart of its cracker and downstream ethylene glycol unit in Lake Charles, La., due to bad weather. EG is used in PET production, and butadiene is an ABS feedstock.

Winds of 40-78 mph also created severe damage to high-rise office buildings in downtown Houston, the site of corporate offices for many chemical companies.

The Gulf Coast region has been seeing a glut of storm-related damage the past few weeks, with tornados and heavy rains, although the bulk of the petrochemical industry has avoided damage, ICIS noted earlier this month.

The Plastics Industry Association expected a lot of first-timers at NPE2024, saying earlier this year that up to 45 percent of attendees could be new to the event.

While the final attendance numbers for the May 6-10 event are still being counted, the NPE organizers now know that there was an even bigger generational shift than they expected.

Glenn Anderson, chief operating officer for the Washington-based trade group, told PN Editor Don Loepp that 63 percent of attendees were first-timers, up from 54 percent in 2018 and 57 percent in 2015. And about 30 percent of the 51,000 registrants were younger than age 40. During the last NPE, in 2018, 28 percent were under the age of 45.

"We recognized that, with six years between the shows, that many of those that attended in 2018 are no longer in the workforce. The 'great resignation,' COVID and aging out … it's a manufacturingwide problem. So the additional things that we did at NPE this year, that we've never done before, were targeted to attract that newer, younger audience," Anderson said.

Rising temperatures may make your plant a more dangerous place for your employees.

The New York State Insurance Fund recently released a report based on 95,000 workers compensation claims between 2017 and 2021 that showed workplace injuries are 45 percent more likely and 20 percent more severe on days with extreme heat.

And while outside laborers — such as those in construction or agriculture — are the front line for weather exposure, those in places without air conditioning, such as manufacturing floors, also are at risk.

"Extreme temperatures can impair worker cognitive functions, reduce labor participation and economic output, and exacerbate labor market inequality," the May 8 NYSIF report noted.

In addition to heat-related concerns, warmer temperatures are often linked to humidity and ozone level increases that can worsen asthma and other lung function issues.

A bill to require employers to provide water, shade, breaks and protective equipment during hot days in the New York state Legislature has been proposed but is currently stalled, our sister paper Crain's New York Business reports.