Safety video is based on lessons from refinery explosion

The explosion that killed 15 workers and injured 180 others at the BP Texas City refinery three years ago is now the basis of a safety video offered free by the U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB).

The video describes the causes of the explosion and draws key safety lessons from the investigation that followed, the board said.

The 56-minute video, “Anatomy of a Disaster: Explosion at BP Texas City Refinery,” is available for viewing in the Video Room of the CSB's Web site, Safetyvideos.gov. DVDs of the video will be provided at no charge through the online request form at CSB.gov.

On March 23, 2005, the accident happened during the startup of the refinery's octane-boosting isomerization unit. A distillation tower and attached blowdown drum were overfilled with flammable liquid hydrocarbons. The blowdown drum vented directly to the atmosphere causing a geyser-like release of flammable liquid, which formed a vapor cloud that spread rapidly through the area. Nearby, an idling diesel pickup truck ignited the vapor, which initiated a series of explosions and fires that swept through the unit and the surrounding area. Because work trailers were placed too close to the isomerization unit and were not evacuated before the startup, deaths and injuries occurred in and around those trailers.

A new nine-minute 3-D computer animation in the video illustrates the sequence of events that led to the explosion, as well as sections describing BP's safety culture, the human factor safety issues that contributed to the accident and the importance of safe equipment design and trailer placement.

Also included in the video are interviews with investigators on the CSB team who completed the 341-page public report on the causes of the accident. That report was approved by the board at a public meeting in Texas City on March 20, 2007. In the video, CSB Board Member William Wright discusses the board's safety recommendations from the accident and key safety lessons from the board's investigation.

Additional safety experts appear in the video to discuss their views of the long-term significance of the accident. Prof. Trevor Kletz of Texas A&M University and Prof. Andrew Hopkins of the Australian National University explain the distinction between personal and process safety; the importance of reporting and investigating near-misses; and the need for modern, inherently safe equipment designs to prevent accidents. Glenn Erwin, a safety official with the United Steelworkers, describes his experience as a member of the independent Baker panel that was recommended by the CSB and commissioned by BP to examine the safety culture of its five U.S. refineries.

CSB Chairman John S. Bresland is quoted on the CSB’s Web site as saying the safety video is critical to making lessons learned from this tragedy readily accessible to everyone around the world. "We hope the lessons from this accident will be studied for years throughout the world's petrochemical industry," said Bresland, who accompanied the investigative team to the accident site in March 2005.

"We are encouraged by the progress that has been made in many areas over the past three years - including OSHA's strengthening of process safety enforcement in refineries, and the industry's development of new safe siting guidelines for occupied trailers to prevent worker fatalities and injuries," Bresland said. "Much work remains to be done to help ensure that the tragedy at BP Texas City never happens again at another site. Industry and labor organizations should collaborate to develop new standards for fatigue prevention and process safety indicators, as the CSB recommended a year ago. BP should continue its work to improve safety performance and avoid additional process-related accidents.

"The CSB looks forward to receiving additional documentation from BP on the status of implementing the recommendations we made to the corporation and the plant one year ago," Bresland said.

CSB safety videos have been viewed approximately one million times over the Internet since the launch of the program in December 2005. A total of 60,000 DVDs have been distributed to industry and labor groups, government agencies, safety trainers, educators, emergency responders and individuals throughout the world, according to the CSB’s Web site.

The CSB is an independent federal agency charged with investigating industrial chemical accidents. The president appoints the agency's board members and the Senate confirms them. CSB investigations look into all aspects of chemical accidents, including physical causes such as equipment failure as well as inadequacies in regulations, industry standards and safety management systems.

The board does not issue citations or fines, but does make safety recommendations to plants, industry organizations, labor groups and regulatory agencies such as OSHA and EPA. The board’s Web site is www.csb.gov.