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Archived News Release--Caution:
information may be out of date.
For more information call: (202) 693-4657
Failure to train workers properly was a key factor in a
March 27, 2000, explosion and fire at the Phillips Chemical Company's Houston
Chemical Complex in Pasadena, Texas, the Occupational Safety and Health
Administration concluded following a six-month investigation of the incident.
The agency today proposed $2.5 million in penalties for 50 alleged violations
of safety standards at the facility.
The plant employs 850 workers who make high quality plastic
resins for use in medical and consumer products. One worker died in the
explosion and 69 others were injured.
"Unfortunately, this tragedy is not an isolated incident,
but one in a series of incidents at this site," said Labor Secretary Alexis M.
Herman. "Three workers lost their lives in explosions at this plant in less
than a year's time, and 23 others were killed in a major explosion in 1989."
OSHA determined that the March explosion took place when a
runaway chemical reaction occurred in a tank containing an unknown quantity of
butadiene that burst the 12,000-gallon vessel. This explosion resulted in a
fire and damage to other nearby chemical tanks. The butadiene tank was out of
service for cleaning and had no pressure or temperature gauges that could have
alerted workers in the control room to the impending hazard. More importantly,
workers had not been trained in safety procedures for handling butadiene, and
they were unaware of the potential for explosion. In addition, while the vessel
was not in use, butadiene continued to flow into the tank through a
non-functioning valve that had not been properly locked out.
OSHA Administrator Charles N. Jeffress said, "We have cited
similar violations again and again at this plant, yet tragedies continue to
occur. What is really needed here is a full reassessment of worker safety and
health in all areas of the plant, significantly improved training for employees
and a firm commitment from plant and corporate management to make safety an
ongoing high priority. We recognize that the plant is now under new ownership,
and we look to the new owners to assure that the problems of the past do not
continue."
As a result of the inspection, OSHA has alleged 30 willful
instance-by-instance violations for failure to train plant operators with a
total proposed penalty of $2.1 million ($70,000 per instance); four alleged
willful violations of process safety management and lockout/tagout standards
with a proposed penalty of $280,000; two alleged repeat violations of the
process safety management standard for a proposed penalty of $70,000; 13
alleged serious violations with proposed penalties of $66,000; one
other-than-serious violation with a proposed penalty of $1,000 for a total of
50 alleged violations with proposed penalties of $2,517,000.
The agency has inspected this site 46 times, including four
inspections in 1999. Three of the 1999 inspections were related to explosions.
In June 1999, two workers died in an explosion in the same unit of the plant
where the explosion occurred in March this year.
Willful violations are those committed with an intentional
disregard of, or plain indifference to, the requirements of the Occupational
Safety and Health Act and OSHA regulations. A serious violation is defined as
one in which there is a substantial probability that death or serious physical
harm could result, and the employer knew or should have known of the hazard.
Repeat violations are those in which an employer has previously been cited
within the last three years for the same, or a substantially similar, violation
and which has become a final order and not under contest.
The plant, a Phillips Petroleum Company site doing business
as Phillips Chemical Company, has been succeeded by Chevron Phillips Chemical
Company, LP. The new entity has 15 working days from receipt of the citations
to contest the citations and proposed penalties before the independent
Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.
Archived News Release--Caution:
information may be out of date.
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