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Valero Refinery Asphyxiation Incident
Delaware City, DE, Issued on November 2, 2006

Click here for Investigation Information Page
Summary
On November 5, 2005 two contractor employees were asphyxiated while preparing to reassemble a pipe on a pressure vessel while it was being purged with nitrogen. The first worker, in an attempt to retrieve a roll of tape from inside the vessel, was overcome by nitrogen, collapsed in the vessel, and died. His co-worker, the crew foreman, was asphyxiated while attempting to rescue him.

Recommendations Listed by Recipient
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Collapse American Petroleum Institute (API) 2006-2-I-DE-R6
Revise Guidelines for Safe Work in Inert Confined Spaces in the Petroleum and Petrochemical Industries (API, 2005) to clearly address the following:

- An oxygen-deficient atmosphere rapidly overcomes the victim.

- There is no warning before being overcome.

- An oxygen-deficient atmosphere might exist outside a confined space opening.

- Rescuers must strictly follow safe rescue procedures.

Status: Open - Awaiting Response or Evaluation/Approval of Response Either a recommendation has been issued and no substantive response was received from the recipient; or a response has been received from the recipient but the evaluation by CSB staff is pending or the Board has not yet acted on staff recommendation of status.