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Safety

Federal Board Seeks Safety Changes

In wake of BP tragedy, investigators call for placing trailers away from refining units

by Glenn Hess
October 26, 2005 | A version of this story appeared in Volume 83, Issue 44

The U.S. Chemical Safety & Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) is strongly urging the petrochemical industry to revise its guidelines on the placement of construction trailers at facilities throughout the U.S.

CSB, which is investigating the deadly March blast at BP’s Texas City, Texas, refinery, said the 15 workers who died were in and around trailers that were located too close to hazardous process equipment that released flammable hydrocarbons during the restart of a unit that had been shut down for maintenance.

“We are calling on the industry to establish minimum safe distances for trailers to ensure the safety of occupants from fire and explosion hazards,” CSB Chairman Carolyn W. Merritt said in an Oct. 25 statement. “The tragedy at BP’s Texas City refinery warrants changes in safe siting practices across the nation.”

Specifically, CSB issued two “urgent” safety recommendations to the American Petroleum Institute (API) and the National Petrochemical & Refiners Association (NPRA), which represent most domestic oil and petrochemical producers.

API, which develops safety practice guidelines that are widely followed throughout the industry, currently allows individual companies to define their own risk and occupancy criteria for trailer siting, CSB said. The federal agency called on API to develop new industry guidance “to ensure the safe placement of occupied trailers and similar temporary structures away from hazardous areas of process plants.”

In many cases, Merritt said, trailers are positioned for convenience during maintenance. “They can be easily relocated to safe distances,” she remarked, noting that the permanent buildings in refineries and chemical plants are often heavily reinforced to resist blast and fire damage, while most trailers and temporary structures provide little protection for occupants.

The board’s second recommendation, directed jointly to API and NPRA, called on the organizations to immediately contact their members and urge “prompt action to ensure the safe placement of occupied trailers” before the new API safety guidance is completed, a process that could take months.

In August, CSB directed BP to form an independent panel to review and make recommendations for improving safety management systems at company facilities nationwide. BP announced the appointment of the 10-member panel Oct. 24, and said James A. Baker III, former U.S. secretary of state, will be the chair.

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