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| CSB | INVESTIGATION INFORMATION PAGE
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| BP America Refinery Explosion |
| Texas City, TX, March 23, 2005 |
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| Aerial view of BP Texas City isomerization unit, site of fatal 2005 explosion. |
Click here for Recommendations Information Page
Incident Description
At approximately 1:20 p.m. on March 23, 2005, a series of explosions occurred at the BP Texas City refinery during the restarting of a hydrocarbon isomerization unit. Fifteen workers were killed and 180 others were injured. Many of the victims were in or around work trailers located near an atmospheric vent stack. The explosions occurred when a distillation tower flooded with hydrocarbons and was overpressurized, causing a geyser-like release from the vent stack.
Click here for a complete list of key documents in the BP Final Report.
[Collapse list]
- Management of Change Form for ISOM Board Operator
- E-mail from Dennis Link, April 17, 2005
- BP Operator Competency Assurance Audit Checklist
- E-mail to Gary Scoggin, April 17, 2005
- Reduced External Supplier and Materials Usage
- February 28, 1994 – ARU/ISOM Supervisors – Deisohexanizer Releases
- Texas City Site (TCS) – Texas City Refinery and Texas City Chemicals Site gHSEr 2004 Assessment
- E-mail from George R. Carter, January 9, 2002
- Job Change Order Form- 2005 Valve Replacement
- Texas City Refinery Retrospective Analysis
- E-mail from James Hay, August 19, 2002
- Texas City Business Unit Business Strategy
- BP Audit Report- “getting HSE right” Audit Report, BP South Houston, September 22, 2003
- BP Internal Audit, 2003 gHSEr Audits- Summary of Findings
- TC-PSC Chair Selection, August 1, 2004
- All Supervision Away Day – November 2004
- Telos Perspective and Recommendations
- Executive Summary of Report of Findings, January 21, 2005
- What makes protection particularly difficult for BP Texas City?
- HSSE ’05 Business plan
- OSHA 2005 Citations
- BP_OSHA Settlement Agreement
- Browne: Take Action to Put Safety First
Investigation Status
The Board approved its final report by a vote of 5-0 at a public meeting in Texas City on March 20, 2007.
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Safety Bulletin: Positive Material Verification
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Trailer Blast Damage Information Table
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Final Investigation Report
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Report of the BP Independent Refineries Safety Review Panel (Baker Panel Report)
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News Release July 10, 2007 - CSB Chairman Merritt Describes the Lessons from Five Years of Board Investigations to Senate Committee, Urges Additional Resources and Clearer Authorities for Federal Safety Efforts |
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News Release May 16, 2007 - CSB Chairman Carolyn Merritt Tells House Subcommittee of "Striking Similarities" in Causes of BP Texas City Tragedy and Prudhoe Bay Pipeline Disaster |
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News Release April 24, 2007 - CSB Posts Korean-Language Version of BP Refinery Explosion Animation |
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News Release April 23, 2007 - CSB Board Member William E. Wright Calls on American Petroleum Institute to Revise Guidelines on Siting of Work Trailers |
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News Release March 22, 2007 - Testifying before House Committee on Education and Labor, Chairman Carolyn W. Merritt Calls for Increasing Oversight of Refining Industry by OSHA |
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News Release March 20, 2007 - U.S. Chemical Safety Board Concludes "Organizational and Safety Deficiencies at All Levels of the BP Corporation" Caused March 2005 Texas City Disaster That Killed 15, Injured 180 |
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News Release March 7, 2007 - Board to Convene March 20 Public Meeting in Texas City, Texas, to Release and Vote upon Final Report on BP Refinery Disaster |
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News Release January 16, 2007 - Statement from Carolyn W. Merritt, Chairman and CEO, U.S. Chemical Safety Board, on the Release of the BP Refineries Independent Safety Review Panel Report |
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News Release October 31, 2006 - Statement of CSB Chairman Carolyn W. Merritt and Lead Investigator Don Holmstrom on New BP Investigation Findings and Recommendations |
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News Release October 31, 2006 - CSB Calls on Oil Industry to Eliminate Atmospheric Blowdown Drums Similar to Equipment at BP Texas City Refinery; Urges New OSHA "Emphasis Program" throughout U.S. |
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News Release October 31, 2006 - Text of CSB Recommendations to OSHA, American Petroleum Institute |
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News Release October 30, 2006 - CSB Investigation of BP Texas City Refinery Disaster Continues as Organizational Issues Are Probed |
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News Release October 15, 2006 - CSB Issues Safety Bulletin on BP Texas City Major Fire:
Better Material Identification Needed, Errors During Systems Maintenance Cited; Fire Caused $30 Million in Property Damage |
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News Release July 17, 2006 - German Translation of CSB Animation of the Explosion at BP Refinery, Texas City, Texas, Now Available |
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News Release June 30, 2006 - CSB Releases Trailer Blast Damage Information from BP Texas City Accident |
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News Release March 23, 2006 - CSB Investigation Continues as Texas City Marks First Anniversary of BP Refinery Explosion |
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News Release November 10, 2005 - Statement of CSB Chairman Merritt to BP Independent Refinery Safety Panel |
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News Release October 27, 2005 - CSB Issues Preliminary Findings in BP Texas City Refinery Accident; Investigators Present Data in Public Meeting |
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News Release October 25, 2005 - CSB Issues Urgent Recommendations to U.S. Petrochemical Industry, Calls for Safer Placement of Trailers for Workers in Wake of BP Tragedy |
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News Release October 25, 2005 - Text of CSB's Urgent Trailer Siting Recommendations to American Petroleum Institute and National Petrochemical & Refiners Association |
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News Release October 24, 2005 - Statement of CSB Chairman Carolyn W. Merritt on BP's Formation of an Independent Refinery Safety Review Panel |
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News Release October 12, 2005 - Board to Hold October 27 Community Meeting in Texas City, Texas, to Release Preliminary Findings and Hear Public Comments on BP America Texas City Refinery Investigation |
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News Release August 17, 2005 - CSB Issues Urgent Safety Recommendation to BP Global Board, Calls for Creation of Independent Panel to Examine Corporate Safety Management, Oversight, and Safety Culture |
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News Release August 17, 2005 - Text of CSB's Urgent Safety Recommendation to BP America and BP Global Board of Directors |
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News Release August 17, 2005 - Statement of CSB Chairman Carolyn W. Merritt on the Board's Urgent Safety Recommendation to BP North America |
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News Release July 30, 2005 - CSB Investigators Continue Assessment of July 28 Explosion and Fire at BP Texas City Refinery |
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News Release June 28, 2005 - Statement of CSB Lead Investigator Don Holmstrom Updating the Status of the Board's BP Texas City Refinery Investigation |
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News Release April 28, 2005 - Statement of Board Member John S. Bresland Updating the Status of the CSB's Investigation at the BP Texas City Refinery |
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News Release April 1, 2005 - CSB Investigators Enter Blast Site at BP America Texas City Refinery |
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News Release March 26, 2005 - CSB Investigation of BP America Texas City Tragedy Continues as Investigators Prepare to Enter Blast Site; Investigators Focusing on "Raffinate Splitter" within Refinery Isomerization Unit |
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News Release March 23, 2005 - CSB Investigative Team Headed to BP America Explosion Site in Texas City |
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Presentation from Public Meeting, Texas City, TX, March 20, 2007 |
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Federal Register Notice for Board Community Meeting, Texas City, TX, October 27, 2005 |
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Transcript of Board Public Meeting, Texas City, TX, March 20, 2007 |
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Transcript of Board Community Meeting, Texas City, TX, October 27, 2005 |
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