CSB Deploying to Site of Hot Work Incident Injuring Seven Workers in Port Arthur, Texas
Washington DC, August 15, 2016 - An investigative team from the U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB) is deploying to the scene of an incident that injured seven workers – including three critically – that occurred Friday August 12 at the Sunoco Logistics Partners, a terminal facility in Port Arthur, Texas.
According to initial inquiries the incident involved a flash fire during welding – also referred to as hot work - activities at the facility. Hot work is defined as burning, welding, or similar spark-producing operations that can ignite fires or explosions. Media reports state that all of the injured were contractors engaged in work activities on a crude oil pipeline connection.
“The CSB has investigated too many incidents involving hot work – my thoughts go out to the workers and their families affected by this tragedy” said Chairperson Vanessa Allen Sutherland. “In an effort to warn of the dangers of hot work the CSB has issued a wide range of material regarding the dangers of hot work including safety videos, a safety bulletin, and accident investigations.
The investigative team will be led by Investigator-in-Charge Mark Wingard and will be accompanied by Chairperson Vanessa Allen Sutherland.
The CSB is an independent federal agency charged with investigating industrial chemical accidents. The agency’s board members are appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate. CSB investigations look into all aspects of chemical accidents, including physical causes such as equipment failure as well as inadequacies in regulations, industry standards, and safety management systems.
For more information, contact Hillary Cohen (traveling with the team) at 202.446.8094 or via email at public@csb.gov.
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Seven injured following flash fire during welding at Sunoco Logistics
Multiple injuries following explosion at Sunoco Logistics Nederland Terminal
Scott Eslinger, KBMT 11:24 AM. EST August 13, 2016
NEDERLAND - UPDATE:
The following statement was issued by Sunoco Logistics:
Shortly before 9 p.m. Central Time Friday, Sunoco Logistics was alerted to a fire on a construction project at its Nederland Terminal in Nederland, Texas. Seven employees of a contractor working on site were injured, four of them critically, in what appeared to be a flash fire involving a crude-oil pipeline connection. Three of the injured were transported to burn centers via helicopter, four by ambulance to area hospitals.
Sunoco Logistics will work with the contractor, L-Con, Inc., to investigate the cause of the accident and support those injured and their families. Our prayers are with them.
There was no impact to nearby residents. We thank the Nederland Police Department, Nederland Fire Department, the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, Jefferson County Office of Emergency Management and Acadian Ambulance for their timely response. The U.S. Coast Guard was on site as well Friday.
A flash fire at the Sunoco Logistics' Nederland, Texas, terminal has injured seven people according to the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office.
The workers were injured while doing some welding at the terminal according to the Marcus McLellan of the sheriff's office.
Three of the injured were taken by Life Flight to Houston or Galveston hospitals with burns and four were transported by ambulance to local hospitals according to McLellan
The sheriff's office, Nederland Police Department and Acadian Ambulance responded to the scene in the 2300 block of Twin City Highway.
Sunoco Logistics is in the business of transporting, terminaling and storing crude oil, natural gas liquids and refined products according to their website.
The Nederland terminal handles crude oil, condensate, naptha, base and extract oils according to the site.
The terminal is connected to several pipelines as well as the strategic petroleum reserve and has marine crude transfer facilities.
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Feds probing if fire at Texas refinery caused by welder
August 15, 2016
By The Associated Press
NEDERLAND, Texas (AP) — Federal investigators are reviewing whether a welding contractor working on a crude oil pipeline connection under construction might have helped ignite a flash fire that injured seven people at a Southeast Texas refinery.
The Beaumont Enterprise reports (http://bit.ly/2aTW1jY ) the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration on Saturday was investigating the fire at the Sunoco refinery, located about 10 miles southeast of Beaumont, Texas.
Jeff Shields, a Sunoco spokesman, says part of the investigation into Friday night's fire will review whether the contractors followed safety practices.
Shields says seven contract workers were injured, four of them critically.
Three workers were flown to burn specialist hospitals in Houston and Galveston and the rest went to local hospitals by ambulance.
Shields did not have an update on the conditions of the injured workers.
