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Statement on California refinery safety

Hydrocarbon Engineering,


Rafael Moure-Eraso, Chairperson of the US Chemical Safety Board has made the following statement on the California Refinery Safety Interagency Working Group final report:

‘I heartily applaud the findings and recommendations contained in the final report of the California Interagency Working Group on Refinery Safety entitled Improving Public and Worker Safety at Oil Refineries. It’s an initiative undertaken by Governor Jerry Brown following the 2012 Chevron refinery fire in Richmond, California.

‘This report is an important milestone for improving refinery safety across the State of California and effectively addressing many of the CBS’s safety recommendations continued in our Chevron refinery accident report released in April 2013.

‘The working group’s final report includes a number of strong recommendations which are in alignment with the CSB’s recommendations: that refineries should implement inherently safer systems to the greatest extent feasible; use formal techniques to evaluate the effectiveness of process safeguards; and perform damage mechanism hazard reviews to ensure corrosion hazards are accurately identified before accidents occur.

‘Furthermore the working group report recommends requiring companies to complete root cause analyses after significant accidents or releases, to explicitly account for human factors and organisational changes, and to perform periodic safety culture assessments.

‘Finally, the report indicates California will continue to pursue border regulatory reforms, including what is called the safety case system that is already used overseas as well as in the US space and nuclear sectors. The safety case system is extensively discussed in a CSB draft report that was made public in December 2013. Under the safety case system, refineries would have to demonstrate in advance to a competent, well funded regulator that they have eliminated or properly managed process safety risks using modern standards and practices, with the goal of reducing risk as low as reasonably practicable. The use of inherently safer designs and technologies is integral to the safety case system.

‘California is also in the process of tripling its force of specialised refinery inspectors, an initiative that is essential for the success of any regulatory system.

‘A serious incident last week at the Tesoro refinery in Martinez, California, where two operators were sprayed and burned by corrosive sulfuric acid underscores the ongoing risks to refinery workers unless the highest safety standards are in place. I am pleased to see the State of California taking aggressive action in response to this serious incident, by barring the restart of the Tesoro alkylation unit until safety is improved.

‘I commend the Governor’s working group on its final report and wholeheartedly support the state’s initiatives. These will ensure that the CSB’s recommendations are fully implemented and have a positive impact on the refineries and communities across the state, preventing accidents, saving workers’ lives and protecting nearby communities.’

Adapted from a press release by Claira Lloyd.

Read the article online at: https://www.hydrocarbonengineering.com/gas-processing/24022014/refinery_safety_statement186/

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