BP Refinery Blast: BP stands by accident report

25 May 2005 23:38  [Source: ICIS news]

HOUSTON (CNI)--BP said Wednesday it stands by its earlier report that a series of mistakes by BP personnel led to the deadly explosion at its Texas City, Texas refinery.

 

Last week’s report said the 23 March explosion which killed 15 contract employees and injured 170 was caused by a series of mistakes by employees during the restart of the plant’s isomerisation unit.

 

BP Products North America president Ross Pillari said last week that BP’s investigation team decided to publish an interim report “because they do not expect that work to change the root causes of the accident or the findings and recommendations” being made public that day.

 

BP spokesman Hugh Depland said Pillari used the “wrong words” when he said the report described the “root causes” of the accident. Instead, the report lists “provisional critical factors” in the blast, Depland said.

 

However, “We have not changed one iota with respect to our report,” Depland said. He added the root causes of the accident will be detailed at a later date. “You can’t get to the root cause until you get to the end of the process,” Depland said.

 

A Houston newspaper reported Wednesday that BP had said its initial findings were misstated and that BP had backed off statements that the root causes of the blast were that workers weren’t following procedures and supervisor were lax.

By: Brian Ford
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