Texas city explosion of 1947 industrial disaster, texas. The explosion killed 15 workers and injured more than 170 others. Texas sues bp over huge toxic release at texas city refinery. A massive explosion and fires killed 15 people and injured another 180. Chemical safety and hazard investigation board csb investigated not only bp s safety performance at texas city, but also the role played by bp group management, based in london, england. Updated bp texas city animation on the 15th anniversary of. Bp admits blame for texas oil disaster business the. Houston, march 23 a fiery explosion with plumes of black smoke shattered a chemical unit at the huge bp oil refinery in texas city near galveston on wednesday afternoon, killing at least 14. Bp s initial investigation into the 2005 explosion at its texas city refinery, which killed fifteen people, came to a similar conclusion, blaming controlroom operators. On march 23, 2005, an explosion, followed by a massive shock wave, occurred at the british petroleum, amoco gasoline refinery. Another side of the deepwater horizon story texas monthly. Announced in a video published march 23, the training will include the 14 elements of the psm standard and will use the 2005 explosion at bp s texas city tx refinery as an example. The antiqued isom unit was specially designed to distill high. Jan 11, 2008 a detailed study of the events leading up to the bp texas city refinery explosion of 2005.
On march 23, 2005, the city suffered another explosion in a local bp formerly amoco oil refinery which killed 15 and injured over 100. Bp texas city oil refinery explosion 2005 case summary. Flags fly at halfstaff outside the bp refinery in texas city the day after the explosion. Bps initial investigation into the 2005 explosion at its texas city refinery, which killed fifteen people, came to a similar conclusion, blaming controlroom operators. Failure to learn the bp texas city refinery disaster. Aug 11, 2010 in the first case, which is ongoing, the state charged bp with poor operational practices that led to the harmful release of pollutants in a 2005 explosion at the same texas city refinery, which. Fifteen workers were killed and 180 others were injured. The mobile office trailers at the bp texas city refinery were placed in the open area near the isom blowdown stack because the contractor personnel working in them were involved in turnaround work at an adjacent unit across the road. Andrew hopkins this book discusses the causes of a major explosion at the texas.
The explosion that devastated a texas town and ignited a historic legal battle minutaglio, bill on. Feb 01, 20 the texas city refinery has some notoriety as the site of an explosion in 2005 that killed 15 workers. Failure to learn the bp texas city refinery disaster book, 2016. I think the industry learned a lot from the explosion, buzbee said. In 2005 an explosion rocked the bp texas city refinery, killing 15 people and injuring 180. The suspected cause of the explosion that killed 15 workers at bp s texas city, tex. The benefit you get by reading this book is actually information inside this reserve incredible fresh, you will get information which is getting deeper an. The texas city disaster was an industrial accident that occurred april 16, 1947, in the port of texas city, texas, at galveston bay. The bp texas city refinery disaster book is not really ordinary book, you have it then the world is in your hands. On march 23, 2005, an explosion, followed by a massive shock wave, occurred at the british petroleum amoco oil refinery. At the time, it was one of the worst industrial accidents to have occurred in the u. Generic lessons gained from this exercise are then discussed. Refinery explosion and fire, texas city, texas, march 23, 2005 open pdf 7 mb the u. Had lessons been learnt from the earlier incident at longford.
Texas city explosion of 1947, industrial disaster sparked by the fire and explosion of the ss grandcamp on april 1617, 1947, in texas city, texas. Experts say osha struggles to enforce laws already on the books. The world is rallying together to support the dedicated doctors, nurses and other health care workers leading the response to the coronavirus pandemic, and bp is proud to play our part. The blast set off a chain of fires as well as a 15foot 4. Litigation is still ongoing for this incident, which was preventable. March 23, 2020 the us chemical safety board is releasing an updated animation detailing the tragic events which occurred 15 years ago today at the bp america refinery in texas city, tx, when a massive hydrocarbon release and ensuing explosion and fire killed 15 and injured 180 others.
The explosion occurred when vapors overflowing from the blowdown drums in the isom ignited. For years afterward, the texas city explosion was scrutinized. On march 23rd, 2005, during the startup of an isomerization isom unit, the bp texas city refinery, texas, experienced an industrial disaster. Oct 30, 2009 the suspected cause of the explosion that killed 15 workers at bp s texas city, tex. Horror in trailer bonds bp blast survivors houston chronicle. On march 23, 2005, tragedy struck texas city, texas, when beyond petroleums bps texas city refinery had an explosion in the isomerization isom unit that. Jul 28, 2019 a giant explosion occurs during the loading of fertilizer onto the freighter grandcamp at a pier in texas city, texas, on this day in 1947. We are the trusted experts in planning the future for you and your business. Has anything changed as a result of the texas city accident. Case study bp texas city refinery explosion and fire texas city, texas march 23, 2005. Bp s texas city chemicals complex adjacent to the refinery is an independent facility and is a key part of bp s global petrochemicals portfolio and was not included in the sale. The bp facility in texas city is the united states thirdlargest oil refinery, employing over 2,000 people, processing 460,000 barrels 73,000 m. Failure to learn the bp texas city refinery disaster health.
The current settlement addresses violations identified during those post. The bp texas city refinery disaster, respected ohs expert professor andrew hopkins discusses the causes of a major explosion at the texas city oil refinery on march 23, 2005, that killed 15 workers and injured more than 170 others. As lead counsel in the litigation following the texas city blast, bca uncovered over 7 million internal bp documents and taped over 2,000 hours of depositions. The texas city refinery explosion occurred on march 23, 2005, when a hydrocarbon vapor cloud was ignited and violently exploded at the isom isomerization process unit at bps texas city refinery in texas city, texas, killing 15 workers, injuring more than 180 others and severely damaging the refinery. Stories by jim malewitz, lise olsen and mark collette with research and assistance. Yesterday the csb issued a press release with some new information about the bp texas city refinery explosion. Bp s texas city chemicals tcc plant is a leading producer of both metaxylene mx and paraxylene px, chemical compounds that help make everything from clothes and carpets to smartphones and surfboards. The texas city refinery explosion occurred on march 23, 2005, when a hydrocarbon vapor cloud was ignited and violently exploded at the isom isomerization process unit at bp s texas city refinery in texas city, texas, killing 15 workers, injuring 180 others and severely damaging the refinery.
The company incurred direct and indirect financial losses on the order of billions of dollars for victims compensation as well as significant property damage and loss of production. Fifteen workers were killed and another 180 injured in the disaster. The texas city refinery is the third largest in the united states. Bp admits blame for texas oil disaster business the guardian. Texas city blast is part of the tale bp has a deadly history. It is an excellent discussion of how even with systems in place to track and investigate process safety incidents without the proper lines of communication and authority. The texas tribune and the houston chronicle spent two months examining whether the nations oil refineries learned the lessons of the deadly explosion at bp s texas city refinery in 2005 one of the most studied industrial accidents in u. Failure to learn also analyses the similarities between this event and the longford gas plant explosion in victoria in 1998, featured in his. The explosions and fire occurred during startup of an isomerization unit at the refinery.
Why bp failed to learn the lessons the texas city refinery. On wednesday, march 23 2005, numerous explosions, and a fire, occurred at bp texas city refinery, texas, usa. Anatomy of a disaster tells the story of one of the worst industrial accidents in recent u. Bp completes texas city refinery sale to marathon petroleum. The isom unit provides higher octane components for unleaded gasoline, consists of four sections. Comments on the csb press release about the bp texas city refinery explosion and fire. O n march 23, 2005, tragedy struck texas city, texas, when beyond petroleums bp s texas city refinery had an explosion in the isomerization isom unit that killed 15 workers and injured 180 others. Following the explosion and fire, epa conducted a series of inspections to determine bp s compliance with the terms of a 2001 consent decree requiring the texas city refinery, as well as bp s other u. In this chapter, we analyze the bp texas city oil refinery disaster. Between 400 and 600 people were killed, with as many as 4,000 injured. Andrew hopkins explores behind the many failures of bps process safety management system that lead to the texas city refinery disaster.
Gallery on march 23, 2005, an explosion, followed by a massive shock wave, occurred at the british petroleum amoco oil refinery. The explosion that devastated a texas town and ignited a historic legal battle. Failure to learn, the bp texas city refinery disaster, andrew hopkins. Professionalismbp texas city refinery explosion wikibooks. It identified material deficiencies in process safety performance at bp s us refineries, and called on bp to give process safety the same priority as bp has historically given personal safety and environmental performance. Respected ohs expert professor andrew hopkins discusses the causes of a major explosion at the texas city oil refinery on march 23, 2005. A february internal report commissioned by top bp brass concluded that four members of management should be held accountable for the march 2005 texas city refinery blast that killed 15 workers and injured 180 others. In one of the largest oil refineries in texas city, on march 23, 2005, the explosion and fire took place, which took away 15 lives, injured over 170 people, and obligated thousands residents that lived close to the plant to stay in their homes.
The accident took place during the startup process of the ongoing turnaround of a special isomerisation unit. Introduction during the startup of the isomerization unit isom on wednesday, march 23, 2005 following a temporary outage, explosions and fires occurred which killed fifteen and harmed over 170 persons in the bp texas city refinery, texas, owned and operated by bp products north america. A midmorning fire started on board the frenchregistered vessel ss grandcamp docked in the port, and detonated her cargo of approximately 2,200 tons. Feb 08, 2016 the texas city refinery explosion occurred on march 23, 2005, when a hydrocarbon vapour cloud exploded at the isom isomerization process unit at bp s texas city refinery in texas city, texas. Analysis is carried out using the techniques of fault tree analysis and reliability block diagram. On march 23rd, 2005 in texas city, texas, a horrendous explosion and fire at the british petroleum bp oil refinery killed 15 workers and injured another 180.
The texas city refinery explosion occurred on march 23, 2005, when a hydrocarbon vapor cloud was ignited and violently exploded at the isom isomerization process unit at bps texas city refinery in. Photo by carlos javier sanchez, houston chronicle a bp employee waits near a safety sign outside the. Fire and explosion accidents which occurred in the last decades such as the piper alpha disaster 2, buncefield oil depot fire accident 3, the bp texas city disaster 4, the bp deepwater. Csb releases new bp texas city animation general news. Ccps center for chemical process safety an aiche technology alliance risk analysis screening tools rast overview demonstration march 19, 2020 slide 2. Chemical safety and hazard investigation board csb investigated not only bps safety performance at texas city, but also the role played by bp group management, based in london, england. In light of the findings concerning the march 23rd incident at bp s texas city refinery, revise your recommended practice 752, management of hazards associated with location of process plant buildings or issue a new recommended practice to ensure the safe placement of occupied trailers and similar temporary structures away from hazardous areas of process plants.
The bp texas city refinery disaster by by andrew hopkins this failure to learn. Mar 24, 2005 texas city the only worker still missing after the explosion of bp s texas city refinery was found dead in the plants rubble today, bringing the death toll to 15. Texas city refinery explosion news newspapers books scholar jstor march 2017 learn how. While showing how those responsible for the texas city refinery failed to learn, the reader of this book will learn a lot about the direct causes of the disaster and the malfunctions of the organisation behoind it. Bp fired some staff and disciplined others yesterday after admitting that deeply disturbing internal mistakes led to the texas city refinery explosion. May 17, 2005 bp fired some staff and disciplined others yesterday after admitting that deeply disturbing internal mistakes led to the texas city refinery explosion which killed 15 people and injured 170. Pdf failure to learn, the bp texas city refinery disaster, andrew. Texas city, texas the lone worker unaccounted for after an explosion at a bp oil refinery has died, raising the death toll to 15 in a blast that also injured more than 100 people, officials.