BP Refinery Blast: Labour union expands investigation

07 June 2005 17:12  [Source: ICIS news]

HOUSTON (CNI)--The United Steelworkers (USW) said Tuesday it is expanding its investigation of the 23 March explosion at the BP refinery in Texas City, Texas to include information provided by the public.

 

“We’re looking at every detail surrounding this horrible tragedy so we can pinpoint the root causes of the explosion and not merely look at human error,” said USW President Leo Gerard.

 

The explosion at the refinery’s isomerisation unit killed 15 contract workers and injured 170.

 

BP recently issued its own issued its own interim investigative report which said mistakes by BP personnel led to the explosion. The USW took issue with the report.

 

The USW said it formally launched its investigation last Friday with a meeting between its investigators and Local 4-1, the local union that represents BP workers. The investigation team includes Isadore Rosenthal, an expert in chemical process safety at the Wharton Risk Management and Decisions Processes Center and Kim Nibarger, coordinator of the USW’s Triangle of Prevention programme.

 

Nibarger also met with hourly workers who were part of BP’s investigation team, local 4-1’s health and safety committee and the local union workers’ committee.

 

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (Osha) and the Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) are also probing the causes of the explosion.

 

The USW said it is returning Allan McDougall, a member of the USW emergency response team, to Texas City to help workers deal with emotional fallout from the blast.

 

The USW is the largest industrial union in North America and represents over 850,000 workers.

By: Brian Ford
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