Photo: Chemical Safety Board
Washington — The Chemical Safety Board has issued more than 1,000 safety recommendations in its history, but organizations need not be the focus of one to act on it.
A recent CSB Safety Spotlight report reinforces that reality, as the board praises the American Fuel and Petrochemical Manufacturers for incorporating a previous recommendation to the American Petroleum Institute.
CSB issued 16 recommendations after an April 2018 explosion and fire at the Husky Energy refinery in Superior, WI. They included a call for API to develop safety guidance for fluid catalytic cracking units in refineries.
The explosion occurred in an FCC unit while workers were on a break during a scheduled maintenance shutdown. Debris from the resulting blast flew about 200 feet and punctured an aboveground storage tank containing asphalt. This caused more than 15,000 barrels of hot asphalt to spill into the refinery. The asphalt ignited about two hours later, resulting in a large fire.
In its final report, CSB says that AFPM has voluntarily developed nearly 20 regional workshops “to improve process safety for FCC units.” The sessions are interactive and designed to produce takeaways for attendees. Among the topics:
- An industry safety overview
- Safety and supporting information and communication to local workers
- Transient operations and tools for monitoring
- Startups, shutdown and emergency procedures
In a press release, CSB Chair Steve Owens calls AFPM’s initiative a “clear example of industry leadership in action.”
Added Chuck Barbee, the agency’s director of recommendations: “CSB’s ‘Safety Spotlights’ highlight important contributions that drive chemical safety excellence. Progress often comes from leadership that goes above and beyond compliance.”
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Original article published by Safety+Health an NSC publication