US safety agency promises refinery inspections

20 March 2007 23:20  [Source: ICIS news]

WASHINGTON (ICIS news)--The US Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) said on Tuesday it will respond later to criticism of its refinery safety procedures made earlier by the federal Chemical Safety Board but added it is taking steps to ensure that all refineries are inspected.

In the safety board’s final report issued earlier on Tuesday concerning the fatal March 2005 explosion at BP’s Texas City, Texas refinery, the board was highly critical of OSHA’s track record in fulfilling its responsibility to protect workers.

The Chemical Safety Board said OSHA conducted only nine in-depth inspections of process industry production sites over a ten-year period although none of those was of a refinery.

The board noted that after the 23 March 2005 explosion and fire that killed 15 workers and injured 180 others at the Texas City refinery, OSHA found more than 300 safety violations at the site and imposed a $21m (€15.7m) fine on BP.

In response, OSHA said that the safety board’s report “confirms OSHA’s investigative findings that BP did not make safety and health a priority at its Texas City, Texas facility”. 

Edwin Foulke, assistant secretary at the US Department of Labor and responsible for OSHA, said his agency will conduct more than 100 refinery inspections this year.

“OSHA is also implementing a National Emphasis Program to ensure that every refinery under its jurisdiction is inspected and all employees are protected,” he said.

Foulke did not address specific safety board charges of inadequate OSHA performance. However, an OSHA spokeswoman said the agency would respond to those charges at a later time.

($1 = €0.75)

By: Joe Kamalick
+1 713 525 2653

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