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Safety Incidents OSHA Severe Injury Reports · 2015–2025

OSHA Accident Investigation · Summary #14391494

FURNACE,WALL,FLAMMABLE VAPORS,CRUSHED,EXPLOSION,CORROSION,PIPELINE,PROCESS SAFETY,PRESSURE RELEASE,REFINERY

Event
FURNACE,WALL,FLAMMABLE VAPORS,CRUSHED,EXPLOSION,CORROSION,PIPELINE,PROCESS SAFETY,PRESSURE RELEASE,REFINERY
Linked inspection
No inspection record linked to this accident's victims.
Summary number
14391494
Report ID
625700

Event description

Eight employees killed, 18 injured in refinery explosion

Investigation abstract

At 3:37 a.m. on May 5, 1988, an explosion occurred in the catalytic cracking uni s #1, #2, #4, #5, and #7 were found fatally injured inside the CCU control room as a direct result of the blast. Employee #3 was found fatally injured approxima tely 30 feet outside the west side of the CCU control room as a direct result of the blast. Employee #6 was fatally injured while he was exiting the GO-1 South control room. The negative pressure wave of the explosion apparently created a v acuum that caused the east brick wall of GO-1 South to be "sucked" toward the CC U and then to fall on Employee #6. Employee #8 was on the northwest side of the reactor-regenerator vessels in the CCU and was critically injured as a result of the blast. The rest of the employees, #9 through #26, were in different units i n the refinery at the time of the explosion. All received varying injuries to di t (CCU) of an oil and gas refinery. The explosion apparently was the result of c fferent degrees as a direct result of the explosion. orrosion of an 8-inch vapor line. This vapor line, under 270 psi pressure, ran f rom a 10-inch header that originated as the main overhead vapor line from the de propanizer column. The apparent instantaneous line failure released approximatel y 17,000 pounds of hydrocarbon vapor for approximately 30 seconds. A possible ig nition source could have been the unit's superheater furnace. The damage pattern indicated that the explosion was probably an aerial explosion with an epicenter located in the area between the depropanizer and the CCU control room. Employee

Victims (26)

  1. #1 Fatality Age 44 M

    Nature of injury
    21
    Part of body
    19
    Event type
    14
    Source
    35
    Occupation code
    999
    Human factor
    17
    Environmental factor
    7
    Task assigned
    1

  2. #10 Non-hospitalized injury Age 32 M

    Nature of injury
    21
    Part of body
    19
    Event type
    4
    Source
    35
    Occupation code
    999
    Human factor
    17
    Environmental factor
    7
    Task assigned
    1

  3. #11 Hospitalized Age 50 M

    Nature of injury
    21
    Part of body
    5
    Event type
    12
    Source
    35
    Occupation code
    999
    Human factor
    17
    Environmental factor
    7
    Task assigned
    1

  4. #12 Non-hospitalized injury Age 37 M

    Nature of injury
    3
    Part of body
    19
    Event type
    14
    Source
    35
    Occupation code
    999
    Human factor
    17
    Environmental factor
    7
    Task assigned
    1

  5. #13 Non-hospitalized injury Age 42 F

    Nature of injury
    11
    Part of body
    8
    Event type
    1
    Source
    35
    Occupation code
    999
    Human factor
    17
    Environmental factor
    7
    Task assigned
    1

  6. #14 Hospitalized Age 27 M

    Nature of injury
    7
    Part of body
    19
    Event type
    1
    Source
    35
    Occupation code
    999
    Human factor
    17
    Environmental factor
    7
    Task assigned
    1

  7. #15 Non-hospitalized injury Age 31 M

    Nature of injury
    7
    Part of body
    19
    Event type
    1
    Source
    35
    Occupation code
    999
    Human factor
    17
    Environmental factor
    7
    Task assigned
    1

  8. #16 Non-hospitalized injury Age 44 M

    Nature of injury
    3
    Part of body
    19
    Event type
    1
    Source
    35
    Occupation code
    999
    Human factor
    17
    Environmental factor
    7
    Task assigned
    1

  9. #17 Non-hospitalized injury Age 57 M

    Nature of injury
    7
    Part of body
    13
    Event type
    1
    Source
    35
    Occupation code
    999
    Human factor
    17
    Environmental factor
    7
    Task assigned
    1

  10. #18 Non-hospitalized injury Age 42 M

    Nature of injury
    11
    Part of body
    8
    Event type
    1
    Source
    35
    Occupation code
    999
    Human factor
    17
    Environmental factor
    7
    Task assigned
    1

  11. #19 Non-hospitalized injury Age 41 M

    Nature of injury
    3
    Part of body
    19
    Event type
    14
    Source
    35
    Occupation code
    999
    Human factor
    17
    Environmental factor
    7
    Task assigned
    1

  12. #2 Fatality Age 35 M

    Nature of injury
    21
    Part of body
    19
    Event type
    14
    Source
    35
    Occupation code
    999
    Human factor
    17
    Environmental factor
    7
    Task assigned
    1

  13. #20 Non-hospitalized injury Age 39 M

    Nature of injury
    21
    Part of body
    16
    Event type
    4
    Source
    35
    Occupation code
    999
    Human factor
    17
    Environmental factor
    7
    Task assigned
    1

  14. #21 Non-hospitalized injury Age 44 M

    Nature of injury
    3
    Part of body
    19
    Event type
    14
    Source
    35
    Occupation code
    999
    Human factor
    17
    Environmental factor
    7
    Task assigned
    1

  15. #22 Hospitalized Age 27 M

    Nature of injury
    7
    Part of body
    20
    Event type
    1
    Source
    35
    Occupation code
    999
    Human factor
    17
    Environmental factor
    7
    Task assigned
    1

  16. #23 Non-hospitalized injury Age 38 M

    Nature of injury
    7
    Part of body
    9
    Event type
    1
    Source
    35
    Occupation code
    999
    Human factor
    17
    Environmental factor
    7
    Task assigned
    1

  17. #24 Hospitalized Age 32 M

    Nature of injury
    7
    Part of body
    20
    Event type
    1
    Source
    35
    Occupation code
    999
    Human factor
    17
    Environmental factor
    7
    Task assigned
    1

  18. #25 Non-hospitalized injury Age 42 M

    Nature of injury
    7
    Part of body
    9
    Event type
    1
    Source
    35
    Occupation code
    999
    Human factor
    17
    Environmental factor
    7
    Task assigned
    1

  19. #26 Hospitalized Age 42 M

    Nature of injury
    7
    Part of body
    19
    Event type
    1
    Source
    35
    Occupation code
    999
    Human factor
    17
    Environmental factor
    7
    Task assigned
    1

  20. #3 Fatality Age 28 M

    Nature of injury
    21
    Part of body
    19
    Event type
    14
    Source
    35
    Occupation code
    999
    Human factor
    17
    Environmental factor
    7
    Task assigned
    1

  21. #4 Fatality Age 36 M

    Nature of injury
    21
    Part of body
    19
    Event type
    14
    Source
    35
    Occupation code
    999
    Human factor
    17
    Environmental factor
    7
    Task assigned
    1

  22. #5 Fatality Age 38 M

    Nature of injury
    21
    Part of body
    19
    Event type
    14
    Source
    35
    Occupation code
    999
    Human factor
    17
    Environmental factor
    7
    Task assigned
    1

  23. #6 Fatality Age 39 M

    Nature of injury
    6
    Part of body
    19
    Event type
    4
    Source
    35
    Occupation code
    999
    Human factor
    17
    Environmental factor
    7
    Task assigned
    1

  24. #7 Fatality Age 28 M

    Nature of injury
    21
    Part of body
    19
    Event type
    14
    Source
    35
    Occupation code
    999
    Human factor
    17
    Environmental factor
    7
    Task assigned
    1

  25. #8 Hospitalized Age 34 M

    Nature of injury
    5
    Part of body
    19
    Event type
    14
    Source
    35
    Occupation code
    999
    Human factor
    17
    Environmental factor
    7
    Task assigned
    1

  26. #9 Non-hospitalized injury Age 49 M

    Nature of injury
    3
    Part of body
    19
    Event type
    14
    Source
    35
    Occupation code
    999
    Human factor
    17
    Environmental factor
    7
    Task assigned
    1

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