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Occupational Safety and Health Administration OSHA

Inspection Detail

Inspection: 100478866 - Shell Oil Company

Inspection Information - Office: Baton Rouge

 

Inspection Nr: 100478866
Report ID: 0625700
Date Opened: 05/05/1988

Site Address:
Shell Oil Company
1205 River Rd
Norco, LA 70079

Mailing Address:
P. O. Box 10, Norco, LA 70079

Union Status: Union

SIC:2911

NAICS: 324110/Petroleum Refineries


Inspection Type: Accident

Scope: Partial

Advanced Notice: N

Ownership: Private

Safety/Health: Safety

Close Conference: 09/20/1988

Emphasis:

Case Closed: 08/23/1994


Related Activity
Type Activity Nr Safety Health
Accident 360157259
Violation Summary
Violations/Penalties Serious Willful Repeat Other Unclass Total
Initial Violations 4 4
Current Violations 4 4
Initial Penalty $3,630 $0 $0 $0 $0 $3,630
Current Penalty $3,630 $0 $0 $0 $0 $3,630
FTA Penalty $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0

Violation Items
# Citation ID Citaton Type Standard Cited Issuance Date Abatement Due Date Current Penalty Initial Penalty FTA Penalty Contest Latest Event Note
1. 01001 Serious 5A0001 10/27/1988 04/27/1989 $1,000 $1,000 $0 -  
2. 01002 Serious 5A0001 10/27/1988 04/27/1989 $1,000 $1,000 $0 -  
3. 01003 Serious 5A0001 10/27/1988 04/27/1989 $1,000 $1,000 $0 -  
4. 01004 Serious 19100132 A 10/27/1988 11/04/1988 $630 $630 $0 -  

Investigation Summary

Investigation Nr: 14391494
Event: 05/05/1988
Eight Employees Killed, 18 Injured In Refinery Explosion

At 3:37 a.m. on May 5, 1988, an explosion occurred in the catalytic cracking unit (CCU) of an oil and gas refinery. The explosion apparently was the result of corrosion of an 8-inch vapor line. This vapor line, under 270 psi pressure, ran from a 10-inch header that originated as the main overhead vapor line from the depropanizer column. The apparent instantaneous line failure released approximately 17,000 pounds of hydrocarbon vapor for approximately 30 seconds. A possible ignition 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. Employees #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 approximately 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 vacuum that caused the east brick wall of GO-1 South to be "sucked" toward the CCU 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 in the refinery at the time of the explosion. All received varying injuries to different degrees as a direct result of the explosion.

Keywords:furnace, wall, flammable vapors, crushed, explosion, corrosion, pipeline, process safety, pressure release, refinery

Investigated Inspection
# Inspection Age Sex Degree Nature Occupation
1 100478866 Non Hospitalized injury Other Occupation not reported
2 100478866 Hospitalized injury Other Occupation not reported
3 100478866 Non Hospitalized injury Bruise/Contus/Abras Occupation not reported
4 100478866 Non Hospitalized injury Foreign Body Ineye Occupation not reported
5 100478866 Hospitalized injury Cut/Laceration Occupation not reported
6 100478866 Non Hospitalized injury Cut/Laceration Occupation not reported
7 100478866 Non Hospitalized injury Bruise/Contus/Abras Occupation not reported
8 100478866 Non Hospitalized injury Cut/Laceration Occupation not reported
9 100478866 Non Hospitalized injury Foreign Body Ineye Occupation not reported
10 100478866 Non Hospitalized injury Bruise/Contus/Abras Occupation not reported
11 100478866 Non Hospitalized injury Other Occupation not reported
12 100478866 Non Hospitalized injury Bruise/Contus/Abras Occupation not reported
13 100478866 Hospitalized injury Cut/Laceration Occupation not reported
14 100478866 Non Hospitalized injury Cut/Laceration Occupation not reported
15 100478866 Hospitalized injury Cut/Laceration Occupation not reported
16 100478866 Non Hospitalized injury Cut/Laceration Occupation not reported
17 100478866 Hospitalized injury Cut/Laceration Occupation not reported
18 100478866 Hospitalized injury Burn/Scald(Heat) Occupation not reported
19 100478866 Fatality Other Occupation not reported
20 100478866 Fatality Concussion Occupation not reported
21 100478866 Fatality Other Occupation not reported
22 100478866 Fatality Other Occupation not reported
23 100478866 Fatality Other Occupation not reported
24 100478866 Fatality Other Occupation not reported
25 100478866 Fatality Other Occupation not reported
26 100478866 Non Hospitalized injury Bruise/Contus/Abras Occupation not reported
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