Refineries Urged to Keep Trailers at Safe Distances

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. “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. CSB, which faulted BP in the March blast at its Texas City, Texas, refinery (see page 10), noted that 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. Specifically, CSB issued two “urgent” safety recommendations to the American Petroleum Institute (API) and the National Petrochemical & Refiners Association, which represent most domestic oil and petrochemical producers. The 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.” The board's second recommendation called on the organizations to immediately contact their members and urge “prompt action to ensure the safe placement of occupied trailers.”