U.S. investigators cite BP coaching, security failures in Ohio refinery deaths

By Laura Sanicola

(Reuters) – BP (NYSE:) violated U.S. course of security guidelines and didn’t prepare staff correctly at its Toledo, Ohio refinery in September, contributing to the dying of two staff on the plant final 12 months, U.S. federal investigators mentioned Thursday.

The 2 refinery staff died from their burns following an explosion in September 2022. They’d been making an attempt to appropriate rising liquid ranges within the gasoline fuel combine drum, inflicting a flammable vapor cloud to kind and ignite, in response to an investigation by the U.S. Division of Labor.

Investigators mentioned BP Merchandise North America did not correctly prepare operators to determine the presence of naphtha, a flammable liquid hydrocarbon combination, throughout an upset.

The corporate additionally did not implement shutdown procedures for the gear when requested to take action by the operators responding to the naphtha launch, investigators mentioned, including that BP didn’t clearly outline circumstances for emergency shutdown of the crude tower.

BP has not responded to a request for remark.

The U.S. Occupational Security and Well being Administration (OSHA) proposed BP Merchandise pay $156,250 in penalties, an quantity it mentioned is ready by federal statutes, for 11 violations of course of security administration procedures, 10 of them critical.

BP Merchandise North America is a Houston primarily based subsidiary of BP and operated the 150,800 barrel-per-day Toledo, Ohio, refinery on the time of the explosion. BP reported a file revenue of $28 billion for 2022.

Final month Canada-based Cenovus Power (NYSE:) Inc closed on the transaction to buy BP’s 50% curiosity within the refinery, assuming 100% operatorship.

BP Merchandise North America has 15 enterprise days to conform, request an off-the-cuff convention with OSHA’s space director, or contest the findings earlier than the unbiased Occupational Security and Well being Evaluation Fee.