The U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) released a second update on its investigation into a fatal hydrogen sulfide release last year at the PEMEX Deer Park Refinery in Deer Park, Texas. The board’s investigation is focused on safe work factors, maintenance policies and procedures, and emergency preparedness at the facility.
When the CSB completes its investigation, it will issue a final report with comprehensive findings, analyses, and recommendations for improved safety practices to prevent future incidents, if applicable.
On October 10, 2024, maintenance contractors were removing piping isolation devices, called blinds, from ARU6, one of the refinery’s amine regeneration units (ARUs). During the removal work, they inadvertently opened a flange on a piping segment of another unit, ARU7, which was still pressurized with hydrogen sulfide gas, releasing a toxic concentration of hydrogen sulfide gas into the air. One of the contract workers performing maintenance work was fatally injured at the scene. The wind carried the toxic hydrogen sulfide to a nearby unit where other contractors were working. One contract worker downwind from the release also was fatally injured from hydrogen sulfide poisoning.
Over 27,000 pounds of toxic hydrogen sulfide gas was released, and local authorities issued shelter-in-place orders lasting several hours for the neighboring cities of Deer Park and Pasadena.
“This was a very tragic event that took the lives of two workers and put the surrounding communities at serious risk,” CSB Chairperson Steve Owens said in a statement. “Maintenance events, like the ones in this incident, must be properly planned and implemented to ensure that they are done safely and that workers and nearby communities are protected.”
The CSB is an independent federal government board that investigates industrial chemical incidents. It doesn’t issue citations for regulatory violations or impose any fines but rather makes safety recommendations to companies, industry groups, labor unions, and regulatory agencies, including the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). The president appoints board members, who are subject to Senate confirmation.
ASSP announces Professional Safety articles of the year
On March 20, the American Society of Safety Professionals (ASSP) announced its 2024 “article of the year” winners published in its flagship journal, Professional Safety.
Winners included:
- First place: “From Hard Hats to Helmets: The History and Future of Head Protection” by Albert Weaver III, Jessica Kemp, William Ojiambo, and Anna Simmons. Modern safety helmets offer better head protection than traditional hard hats. In fact, OSHA switched its field personnel to safety helmets in 2023.
- Second place: “Safety Classification and Learning Model: Defining and Classifying Potential Serious Injuries and Fatalities” by Matthew R. Hallowell and Carren Spencer.
- Third place: “Risk Appetites at Polar Opposites: The Unacceptable Risk” by Fred Straub.
Professional Safety offers research, practical guidance, and evidence-based solutions for environment, health, and safety (EHS) professionals engaged in identifying hazards, protecting workers, and educating management on investing in safety. Over 35,000 safety professionals receive Professional Safety as a benefit of ASSP membership.
The ASSP was founded in 1911 as the United Association of Casualty Inspectors following the Triangle Shirtwaist fire in which 123 workers perished. The group was renamed the American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) in 1914 before taking its current name in 2018.