New Report on 2005 Refinery Disaster

The U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board issued a new report to mark the 20th anniversary of the fatal explosions and fires at BP America Texas City Refinery in Texas City, on March 23, 2005. The incident resulted in the deaths of 15 people and injuries to 180 others.

The report, The 20th Anniversary of the 2005 Fatal BP America Refinery Explosion in Texas City, TX – Lessons Learned and Improvements Implemented by Industry, summarizes the recommendations made by the CSB as a result of its investigation of the BP Texas City disaster. It also looks at some of the steps that have been taken by the chemical industry since 2005 to improve safety at refineries and other chemical facilities.

Also Read: Final Report on 2018 Refinery Explosion and Hazmat Incident

The CSB’s final report on the BP Texas City incident, released in 2007, found organizational and safety deficiencies at all levels of the BP Corp., as well as gaps in industry standards and practices that allowed the incident to occur. As a result of the agency’s investigation, CSB issued 26 safety recommendations to nine entities.

Over the past two decades, all but one of those recommendations have been successfully closed. Their implementation has led to important improvements in process safety management at chemical and petrochemical facilities across the country.

The only recommendation that has not yet been implemented calls for the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration to revise its Process Safety Management regulation to require that a management of change review be conducted for organizational changes that may impact process safety.

HazSim Training Exercise: Flammable Liquids Leak From a Pipe

This investigation digest highlights several of the changes made by the chemical industry in response to the CSB’s recommendations, including:

the development of guidance and improved practices relative to the placement of occupied work-site trailers and other temporary structures;
safer alternatives to atmospheric discharge;
standards for process safety indicators;
standards for preventing worker fatigue; and
an increased focus on improving organizational culture and process safety management at refineries and chemical facilities.

CSB Chairperson Steve Owens said, “The BP Texas City disaster is one of the worst industrial accidents in recent U.S. history. As a result of the CSB’s investigation of this terrible incident and the more than two dozen safety recommendations that the CSB made, a number of important steps have been taken to improve practices at refineries and other chemical facilities. But more still needs to be done to protect workers and communities. The CSB is committed to ensuring that a catastrophe like this never happens again.”