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3 December, 2007
Health and safety in the US oil refining sector is as dangerous now as it was nearly three years ago when a blast at a Texas City, Texas, BP refinery claimed the lives of 15 contract workers. So say the results of an in-depth survey of health and safety conditions in US refineries, published by North American affiliate United Steelworkers, the Tony Mazzocchi Center for Health, Safety and Environmental Education, and New Perspectives Consulting Group.
The 90-page study, which critiques operating practices in some 64 variants inside 51 US refineries, sets forth five “Urgent and Critical Actions” for the US downstream industry, as well as another five “Necessary Support Actions.” The recommendations represent an imperative call for better health and safety conditions by oil refiners in the US.
Entitled “Beyond Texas City: The State of Process Safety in the Unionized US Oil Refining Industry,” the survey takes into account a number of criteria, including use of atmospheric vents on process units, failed instrumentation or alarm systems, allowance of non-essential personnel in restricted areas, and entire process safety systems as they relate to start-ups and shut-downs.
USW President Leo Gerard
The urgent actions recommended include establishing a Process Safety Team that includes members selected by the trade union; ensuring that Process Hazard Analyses are reviewed and revalidated at least once every three years; redress to four distinct conditions arising from the 23 March 2005 Texas City disaster; developing and implementing full safety reviews prior to start-ups and shut-downs; and providing adequate and skilled staff to ensure safe working conditions.
“These proposals are doable, and while we can’t bring back the 15 workers killed at the BP Texas City refinery, they can make it harder for future deaths and injuries to occur,” said USW President Leo Gerard.
The BP Texas City explosion occurred near an isomerisation unit that boosts octane levels of petrol. The unit was being restarted at the time of the explosion after undergoing scheduled maintenance. Contract company trailers and traffic were operating nearby the unit. Besides the contract workers who died, 80 workers suffered injuries.