Accident News

U.S. Chemical Safety Board Concludes On Texas City Disaster

"Organizational and Safety Deficiencies at All Levels of the BP Corporation" Caused March 2005 Disaster That Killed 15, Injured 180

For more information, go to: BP Investigation Information Page

Full Board to Weigh Recommendations to OSHA, Oil Industry, BP, and Union to Improve U.S. Refinery Safety at Public Meeting Tonight

UPDATED 9:30 p.m. CDT March 20, 2007, Texas City, Texas - At a public meeting here tonight attended by more than 200 people, the U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB) voted 5-0 to approve its final report on the March 2005 explosion at the BP Texas City Refinery, the worst U.S. industrial accident since 1990. The full text of the report and safety recommendations will be posted on CSB.gov within the next week.

CSB Chairman Carolyn W. Merritt said: "With the vote tonight, we embark on seeking the most significant safety improvements ever pursued by this agency. The 15 men and women who died here two years ago must not be allowed to perish in vain. Their lives, their dreams, and their hopes - and the manner in which they lost them - must never be forgotten."

Houston, Texas, March 20, 2007 - In a 335-page final report released today, federal investigators from the U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB) conclude that "organizational and safety deficiencies at all levels of the BP Corporation" caused the March 23, 2005, explosion at the BP Texas City refinery, the worst industrial accident in the United States since 1990. The report calls on the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to increase inspection and enforcement at U.S. oil refineries and chemical plants, and to require these corporations to evaluate the safety impact of mergers, reorganizations, downsizing, and budget cuts.

CSB Chairman Carolyn W. Merritt said, "It is my sincere hope and belief that our report and the recent Baker report will establish a new standard of care for corporate boards of directors and CEO's throughout the world. Process safety programs to protect the lives of workers and the public deserve the same level of attention, investment, and scrutiny as companies now dedicate to maintaining their financial controls. The boards of directors of oil and chemical companies should examine every detail of their process safety programs to ensure that no other terrible tragedy like the one at BP occurs."

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	Did You Know?
	Blood Alcohol levels of 1.0 in a crash can be a criminal charge. State laws in 31 states make it a criminal offense to operate a motor vehicle at a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.10 g/dl. Seventeen states and the District of Columbia have adopted 0.08 g/dl. Two states and Puerto Rico do not have illegal per se BAC levels.