Washington – The Chemical Safety Board has updated the status of 15 safety recommendations stemming from nine incident investigations across the country.
CSB members voted unanimously to update the recommendations, the agency announced June 30. The updates affect nine incident investigations, including:
- Hoeganaes Corp. flash fires (2011)
- Texas Tech chemistry lab explosion (2010)
- Tesoro Refinery explosion and fire (2010)
- DuPont Corp. toxic chemical releases (2010; two investigations)
- Bethune Point wastewater plant explosion (2006)
- Allied Terminals fertilizer tank collapse (2008)
- Honeywell chemical incidents (2003)
- Emergency shutdown systems for chlorine transfer (2002)
CSB updated both safety recommendations for Texas Tech to “Closed – Acceptable Action.” Agency officials said the university has created and implemented a near-miss reporting system, as recommended, in addition to revising its chemical hygiene plan. Both recommendations followed an incident in which a graduate student was severely injured while conducting research.
Regarding Tesoro, CSB members voted to update the status of the agency’s recommendation to “Open – Acceptable Alternate Response.” CSB said Tesoro has committed to developing a continuous improvement program related to its process safety culture after a deadly blast killed seven workers at the organization’s facility in Anacortes, WA.
