Save for later Print Download Share BP has accepted responsibility for the Mar. 23 explosion at its Texas City refinery that killed 15 workers and injured another 170 people, laying the blame for the fatal blast largely on the failings of managers and operators at the isomerization unit where the explosion took place. The interim report from the company's own investigation into the tragedy determined that "the explosion occurred because BP isomerization (Isom) unit managers and operators greatly overfilled and then overheated the raffinate splitter, a tower that is part of the Isom unit. If Isom unit managers had properly supervised the start-up or if Isom unit operators had followed procedures or taken corrective action earlier, the explosion would not have occurred." The fluid level in the splitter at the time of the explosion was nearly 20 times higher than it should have been, the report said, at around 140 feet when it should have been closer to seven feet. The number of deaths and injuries was also "greatly increased" by the presence of workers in temporary trailers close to the Isom unit, BP said. "The mistakes made during the start-up of this unit were surprising and deeply disturbing," BP Products North America President Ross Pillari said. "The failure of Isom unit managers to provide appropriate leadership and the failure of hourly workers to follow written procedures are among the root causes of this incident. We cannot ignore these failures." BP would act to provide financial support and compensation to the victims and families of the deceased, and would seek to do so "without the need for lawsuits or lengthy court proceedings," the company said. A BP spokesman declined to comment on what the likely cost of compensation would be to the company. Many of the blast's victims have already filed suit against BP, accusing the company of "malicious and grossly negligent conduct," and alleging, amongst other things, that BP has been guilty of "failing to properly staff the [Isom unit's] control room with an adequate number of board operators for a start-up," and of "undertaking a conscious effort to reduce new operator training at the expense of safety." BP's own findings make little comment on staff numbers, other than to recommend that "staffing levels for turnarounds and other high workload periods must show explicit consideration for fatigue." But other observers believe the regulatory investigations could have a bigger focus on headcount. "I believe the reports are going to show there's a staffing issue," one official with the USW union, which represents many of the workers at the plant, told International Oil Daily. Several other regulatory investigations into the explosion are still in progress, including enquiries by the US Chemical Safety Board, and the Department of Labor's Occupational Safety & Health Administration, which has already fined BP twice in the past 18 months for incidents at the Texas City refinery. BP added that it had already acted on the findings of the interim report, in terms of changes to company practices at Texas City, and would be making further changes. The company has also "begun disciplinary action against both supervisory and hourly employees directly responsible for operation of the Isom unit on Mar. 22 and Mar. 23," Pillari said. "The actions taken will range from warnings to termination of employment." BP could not confirm that this had extended to the refinery's manager, Don Parus, who has been placed "on leave from his normal duties in order to provide full-time support to the ongoing efforts required to respond to the incident," Pillari said. With Parus on leave, BP has appointed Colin Maclean as manager of the Texas City site. Maclean has previously managed BP refineries in the US, UK and Australia. Jim Washer, London
