Updated August 11, 2026: On January 24, 2020, two Watson Grinding employees, Gerardo Castorena Sr. and Frank Flores, were killed in an early morning manufacturing explosion in Houston. A nearby resident, Gilberto Mendoza Cruz, died in the weeks that followed as a result of the explosion. Hundreds of homes and businesses in the neighborhood were damaged
The explosion involved a 2,000-gallon tank of propylene, an extremely flammable gas, which has since been secured by a HazMat team.
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What federal investigators found
The U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board issued its final report in June 2023. It found that a degraded and poorly crimped rubber welding hose leaked propylene into the building overnight, and that the accumulated gas ignited when an employee turned on the lights shortly before the shift began. The agency concluded the explosion could have been prevented had the company developed and implemented an effective process safety management program, and found that its emergency response plan did not address a propylene release. Watson Grinding filed for bankruptcy in February 2020 and is no longer in business.
Because the operator went out of business, the trials have proceeded against 3M, which residents allege was responsible for inspecting the gas detection and alarm system at the facility.
What this case shows about industrial explosion claims
Watson Grinding is a useful example of something that surprises many people hurt in an industrial explosion. The company that ran the plant went bankrupt within weeks, and the claims that have actually reached a jury were brought against a separate company whose work touched the safety system. Who can be pursued after an explosion is rarely limited to the operator, and it is often not obvious in the first days. Contractors, inspectors, equipment manufacturers and utilities can all be part of the picture, which is one reason what you do immediately after an explosion matters so much to what can be proven later.
The explosion attorneys at Pritzker Hageman represent people nationwide who have been injured in explosions. If you would like a free consultation with our Explosions Team, call us at 1-888-377-8900, text us at 612-261-0856 or, complete the form below.