On 20th Anniversary of Fatal Refinery Disaster, CSB Reflects on Lessons Learned
A new report from the Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board marks the 20th anniversary of the explosion and fires that killed 15 people and injured 180 others at the BP Texas City Refinery in Texas City, Texas, on March 23, 2005. CSB detailed the findings of its investigation of the incident in 2007 (PDF). The new report, called an “investigation digest,” outlines CSB’s recommendations to address safety issues that contributed to the incident and the steps taken by the chemical industry to improve safety in the intervening years (PDF). According to CSB’s news release, 25 of the 26 recommendations issued by the agency have been successfully closed.
CSB’s new report explains that the 2005 disaster occurred after flammable hydrocarbon liquid overfilled a distillation tower and discharged into a drum with a stack open to the air, resulting in a geyser-like release. As all the fatalities and many serious injuries occurred in or near contractor trailers located near the process areas, CSB urged the American Petroleum Institute to revise its practices to ensure temporary structures are placed a safe distance from hazardous areas. In response, API developed a recommended practice banning lightweight wooden trailers from hazardous areas and requiring a safety analysis for all portable buildings. This recommendation was considered closed as of March 14, 2008.
CSB also warned API against pressure relief systems that released flammable substances into the atmosphere and urged the chemical industry to adopt inherently safer alternatives. API amended its guidance for pressure-relieving systems, requiring chemical companies to use inherently safer alternatives to atmospheric discharge when there is risk of a flammable vapor cloud explosion. CSB marked this recommendation closed in April 2016. Other recommendations issued by the agency concerned developing an industry-wide standard for assessing process safety performance, preventing worker fatigue, and assessing organizational safety culture. All have been marked closed except for CSB’s recommendation that OSHA update its process safety management standard to include management-of-change reviews for major organizational, personnel, and policy changes that may impact process safety.
“As a result of the CSB’s investigation of this terrible incident and the more than two dozen safety recommendations that the CSB made, a number of important steps have been taken to improve practices at refineries and other chemical facilities,” said CSB Chairperson Steve Owens. “But more still needs to be done to protect workers and communities.”
More information and a link to download the new report may be found in CSB’s news release.
