What are some examples of process safety culture failures and successes and what can you learn from them?

2 The Texas City refinery explosion

The Texas City refinery explosion was a fatal explosion that occurred at a BP refinery in Texas in 2005, killing 15 workers and injuring 180 others. The cause of the explosion was the overfilling of a raffinate splitter, a distillation tower that separates gasoline components, with flammable liquid hydrocarbons. The excess liquid overflowed into a blowdown drum and a vent stack, where it formed a large vapor cloud that ignited by a nearby vehicle. The investigation found that the refinery had a history of safety violations, poor management, inadequate risk assessment, and low employee morale. The refinery also had a culture of normalization of deviation, where unsafe practices and conditions were accepted as normal. The Texas City refinery explosion highlighted the need for continuous improvement, hazard identification, and employee involvement in PSM.

3 The DuPont La Porte plant release

The DuPont La Porte plant release was a toxic chemical release that occurred at a DuPont insecticide plant in Texas in 2014, killing four workers and exposing others to methyl mercaptan, a foul-smelling gas used to make pesticides. The release was caused by the opening of a valve that allowed methyl mercaptan to enter a vent system that was not designed to handle it. The workers who opened the valve were not aware of the presence of the gas and did not wear proper personal protective equipment. The investigation found that the plant had inadequate process design, insufficient training, poor emergency response, and lack of process safety oversight. The plant also had a culture of complacency, where workers did not question or report unsafe situations. The DuPont La Porte plant release demonstrated the importance of process safety competence, engineering controls, and incident reporting and learning in PSM.

4 The Chevron Richmond refinery fire

The Chevron Richmond refinery fire was a large fire that occurred at a Chevron refinery in California in 2012, injuring six workers and sending thousands of residents to seek medical attention for respiratory problems. The fire was ignited by a leak of hydrocarbon vapor from a corroded pipe that was part of a crude oil distillation unit. The leak was detected by workers who attempted to stop it by tightening a clamp on the pipe, but instead caused the pipe to rupture. The investigation found that the refinery had inadequate inspection, maintenance, and repair of piping systems, as well as poor decision making, communication, and coordination during the incident. The refinery also had a culture of resistance to change, where workers and managers did not implement or follow best practices and recommendations from previous incidents. The Chevron Richmond refinery fire showed the value of process safety integrity, operational discipline, and organizational learning in PSM.

5 The Arkema Crosby plant explosion

The Arkema Crosby plant explosion was a series of explosions and fires that occurred at an Arkema chemical plant in Texas in 2017, after Hurricane Harvey flooded the plant and caused the loss of power and refrigeration. The plant stored organic peroxides, which are unstable chemicals that need to be kept cool to prevent decomposition and ignition. The plant staff evacuated the site and notified the authorities and the public about the potential hazard, but could not prevent the explosions and fires that followed. The investigation found that the plant had inadequate flood protection, contingency planning, and hazard analysis for the organic peroxides. The plant also had a culture of compliance, where workers and managers relied on regulatory standards and guidance, rather than proactive risk management and innovation. The Arkema Crosby plant explosion illustrated the significance of process safety resilience, scenario planning, and stakeholder engagement in PSM.