Safety board issues details on fatal BP blast

A breakdown of details of a March 23, 2005, explosion that killed 15 workers and injured 180 others at a BP refinery in Texas City, Texas, was released last week by the Chemical Safety & Hazard Investigation Board. Most of the deaths and injuries were among workers housed in trailers near the refinery's isomerization unit, where an explosion of an overfilled blowdown drum containing flammable liquids and vapors occurred. The data released by the board charted the location of 44 trailers that were affected by the blast. The deaths occurred in trailers located 121 to 136 feet from the drum, but occupants were injured in trailers as far away as 479 feet from the drum, and damage was found almost 1,000 feet from the explosion. BP has developed a new corporate trailer siting policy following the accident. The board is working with the American Petroleum Institute to develop guidance for safe placement of trailers and temporary structures, which are common in the oil and chemical industry. The information is available at www.csb.gov.