TOn September 10, 1997, Employee #1, a utility operator at Georgia-Pacific Resins, Inc., was making a Novolak resin (batch type 2140) in an 8,000 gallon K-2 reactor vessel. Novolak resin is a thermoplastic phenolic resin used in foundries. Employee #1 had mischarged phenol, formaldehyde, and sulfuric acid to the K-2 reactor vessel while making the Novolak resin. The vessel also had steam on its coils. The mischarge of chemicals caused an uncontrolled phenol-formaldehyde polymerization reaction, resulting in the over-pressurization and failure of the K-2 reactor vessel. Employee #1 was killed and his coworkers in the resin department sustained injuries.