Deadly Tesoro refinery blast caused by high temp “hydrogen attack”
CSB IDs a “deficient refinery safety culture”
The April 2010 fatal explosion and fire at the Tesoro refinery in Anacortes, Washington was caused by damage to the heat exchanger, a mechanism known as “high temperature hydrogen attack” or HTHA, which severely cracked and weakened carbon steel tubing leading to a rupture, according to a Chemical Safety Board (CSB) draft report released today. The draft report makes far-reaching recommendations to the EPA and the governor and state legislature of the State of Washington to more rigorously protect workers and communities from potentially catastrophic chemical releases.
“Seven lives were tragically lost at the Tesoro refinery in 2010,” said Dr. Rafael Moure-Eraso, CSB chairperson. “I believe the draft report does an outstanding job of tracing this complex accident to its roots: a deficient refinery safety culture, weak industry standards for safeguarding equipment, and a regulatory system that too often emphasizes activities rather than outcomes. The report is a clarion call for refinery safety reform.”