Exxon Baton Rouge 2016 blast began with stuck valve: U.S. board

[Eugene]

Source: Reuters

#U.S.
JULY 26, 2017 / 1:36 PM / 4 MINUTES AGO

Exxon Baton Rouge 2016 blast began with stuck valve: U.S. board

HOUSTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Chemical Safety Board said on Wednesday that the events leading to a 2016 blast at ExxonMobil Corp's Baton Rouge, Louisiana, refinery began when an operator disassembled a stuck valve on the alkylation unit, releasing a cloud of isobutane vapor.

Disassembling stuck valves was an "accepted practice" at the refinery, the board said in a video posted on its website on Wednesday. The vapor cloud exploded after reaching a welding unit 70 feet away that provided an ignition source.

Exxon spokesman Todd Spitler declined to comment on the video.

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The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration issued in May nearly $165,000 in fines to the company for safety lapses including inadequate training and equipment maintenance in the Nov. 22, 2016 blast that injured an Exxon employee and three contractors. Exxon was appealing the fines.

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Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/us-refinery-probe-exxon-blast-idUSKBN1AB2GI

[Dustlawyer]

1. Because they have the refineries "self report" violations because the regulatory agencies

don't have the budget to do the inspections (big surprise), these accidents and near accidents happen all of the time now. They cut corners everywhere because time is money and most of the time they get away with no one hurt, saving a lot of money. When they get hurt they have so many ways to intimidate the injured workers, screw their worker' comp, and caps on the damages assuming the injured worker can sue anyone.