Montemayor
Chemical
- Apr 6, 2001
- 1,436
On December 03, 2004 there was an explosion at a wax processing plant in Houston, Texas. Although no one was killed, 3 firefighters were injured in the subsequent fire that lasted for 7 hours. The Chemical Safety Board has formally issued its report (Finally!) on the incident and I highly recommend every serious, professional engineer to read the report carefully and with receptive minds as to what should be learned and be an outcome of such an event.
This blatant and unnecessary stupid and ignorant event is something that is so absurd that it bears careful and dedicated study for engineers who believe that “The System” will protect and take care of you and the public. Please note the totally ignorant and dangerous practices not only allowed, but the excuses and alibis offered by the authorities and, in particular the CSB who avoids addressing the obvious: how can OSHA law remain logically untouched when it is obviously so stupidly flawed in the way it is written? Stupid practices and accidents of this kind will continue because OSHA – by its own bureaucratic and contradictory laws – continues to foster and tolerate such practices that threaten the public safety.
Please note the obvious, totally flawed process safety design of the operation and the fact that it was allowed to not only exist, but also to be modified into an even more hazardous and dangerous operation without any concern, check, or control on the part of local, regional, and national safety agencies. I am particularly disgusted and mad that an industrial plant is allowed to:
1. Employ un-designed or undocumented pressure vessels without any pressure relief devices – any totally manually operated!
2. Apply pressure vessel modifications without any regard to safety or documentation of what was being done. And as if that is not enough, the welding and testing procedures employed are below those of an auto body repair shop!
3. Apply an “acid egg” procedure (pneumatic pressure application for fluid transfer) on vessels and piping that has not been tested nor designed for pressure application and the possibility of solids formation (and subsequent line plugging) that causes the gas pressure to go even higher than expected.
4. Apply atmospheric air instead of inert nitrogen into a hot, melted hydrocarbon atmosphere that clearly has demonstrated its flammability potential by empirical experience.
I not only put the blame squarely on Abbas Hassan, President and Chairman of Marcus Oil & Chemical, but I also hold the city of Houston and the CSB responsible for various other acts that foment and tolerate this type of immoral industrial practice.
Abbas Hassan is guilty of indifferent and ignorant greed for personal financial gain at the risk of the public welfare and safety – that is pretty obvious. However, the city of Houston has shown its total, bureaucratic and ignorant indifference at protecting the public citizens under its charge. All city officials can offer are lame and stupid excuses that there are “loop holes” in the law. They fail to address the subject of industrial inspections and insurance policies as well as their stupidity in demolishing the building within 18 hours of the start of the incident and thereby destroying all equipment documentation and other potential evidence in or near the structure. The CSB is clearly acting in a “cavalier” manner and totally avoids the important safety issues such as criticizing OSHA for the lame and ignorant manner that is used to define a flammable substance. The hydrocarbon liquids stored in the aboveground storage tanks were exempt from PSM compliance as provided in CFR 1910.119(a)(ii)(B). The CSB once again has decided to act as a purely bureaucratic office who is more interested in protecting its image and annual salaries by not offending other bureaucrats in the government. Note that nothing is said about the clear and obvious need to clearly specify in OSHA rulings on what constitutes a flammable and dangerous substance. You would think that even a stupid government bureaucrat could figure out that any substance burning for 7 hours is obviously flammable and dangerous. Not so. It just shows all engineers that we really are on our own in securing the public safety and welfare. Don’t depend on OSHA to do it for you.
OSHA is clearly guilty of tolerating and fomenting such dangerous and stupid industrial incidents. This agency has found it fit to originally not only apply a paltry fine of $107,250 but has also allowed Marcus Oil to settle those citations for a ridiculous sum of $44,750. I consider this a slap on the face of the American public who certainly deserve to be protected by those being paid to do their job – not insure their pensions. This is just another example of OSHA rulings that foster industrial disasters with mere “slaps on the wrist” to those who have clearly shown they can laugh at the law and get away with it.
If you have a color printer, I highly recommend you print the document and carefully look at the clear, identifiable lack of full weld penetration in Figure 5.
This is a classic example of how not to design a processing plant and certainly pinpoints the importance of proper PSV design and application in processing plants.
This blatant and unnecessary stupid and ignorant event is something that is so absurd that it bears careful and dedicated study for engineers who believe that “The System” will protect and take care of you and the public. Please note the totally ignorant and dangerous practices not only allowed, but the excuses and alibis offered by the authorities and, in particular the CSB who avoids addressing the obvious: how can OSHA law remain logically untouched when it is obviously so stupidly flawed in the way it is written? Stupid practices and accidents of this kind will continue because OSHA – by its own bureaucratic and contradictory laws – continues to foster and tolerate such practices that threaten the public safety.
Please note the obvious, totally flawed process safety design of the operation and the fact that it was allowed to not only exist, but also to be modified into an even more hazardous and dangerous operation without any concern, check, or control on the part of local, regional, and national safety agencies. I am particularly disgusted and mad that an industrial plant is allowed to:
1. Employ un-designed or undocumented pressure vessels without any pressure relief devices – any totally manually operated!
2. Apply pressure vessel modifications without any regard to safety or documentation of what was being done. And as if that is not enough, the welding and testing procedures employed are below those of an auto body repair shop!
3. Apply an “acid egg” procedure (pneumatic pressure application for fluid transfer) on vessels and piping that has not been tested nor designed for pressure application and the possibility of solids formation (and subsequent line plugging) that causes the gas pressure to go even higher than expected.
4. Apply atmospheric air instead of inert nitrogen into a hot, melted hydrocarbon atmosphere that clearly has demonstrated its flammability potential by empirical experience.
I not only put the blame squarely on Abbas Hassan, President and Chairman of Marcus Oil & Chemical, but I also hold the city of Houston and the CSB responsible for various other acts that foment and tolerate this type of immoral industrial practice.
Abbas Hassan is guilty of indifferent and ignorant greed for personal financial gain at the risk of the public welfare and safety – that is pretty obvious. However, the city of Houston has shown its total, bureaucratic and ignorant indifference at protecting the public citizens under its charge. All city officials can offer are lame and stupid excuses that there are “loop holes” in the law. They fail to address the subject of industrial inspections and insurance policies as well as their stupidity in demolishing the building within 18 hours of the start of the incident and thereby destroying all equipment documentation and other potential evidence in or near the structure. The CSB is clearly acting in a “cavalier” manner and totally avoids the important safety issues such as criticizing OSHA for the lame and ignorant manner that is used to define a flammable substance. The hydrocarbon liquids stored in the aboveground storage tanks were exempt from PSM compliance as provided in CFR 1910.119(a)(ii)(B). The CSB once again has decided to act as a purely bureaucratic office who is more interested in protecting its image and annual salaries by not offending other bureaucrats in the government. Note that nothing is said about the clear and obvious need to clearly specify in OSHA rulings on what constitutes a flammable and dangerous substance. You would think that even a stupid government bureaucrat could figure out that any substance burning for 7 hours is obviously flammable and dangerous. Not so. It just shows all engineers that we really are on our own in securing the public safety and welfare. Don’t depend on OSHA to do it for you.
OSHA is clearly guilty of tolerating and fomenting such dangerous and stupid industrial incidents. This agency has found it fit to originally not only apply a paltry fine of $107,250 but has also allowed Marcus Oil to settle those citations for a ridiculous sum of $44,750. I consider this a slap on the face of the American public who certainly deserve to be protected by those being paid to do their job – not insure their pensions. This is just another example of OSHA rulings that foster industrial disasters with mere “slaps on the wrist” to those who have clearly shown they can laugh at the law and get away with it.
If you have a color printer, I highly recommend you print the document and carefully look at the clear, identifiable lack of full weld penetration in Figure 5.
This is a classic example of how not to design a processing plant and certainly pinpoints the importance of proper PSV design and application in processing plants.
