Protect Public Employees from Workplace Accidents

Across the country, millions of state and local public employees perform vital work for the American people. They are teachers, social workers, and corrections officers. And they are also the firefighters, police, and utility workers who protect public safety and respond to emergencies. But in 26 states, public employees are not covered by OSHA workplace standards. Without those protections and responsibilities, public employees face an undue risk of being killed, injured or sickened on the job. Just over three years ago – on January 11, 2006 – a serious explosion and fire occurred during maintenance work at a Florida wastewater treatment plant, operated by the city of Daytona Beach. The accident occurred as a crew of city workers, using a crane, attempted to remove a damaged metal roof above a storage tank containing 3,000 gallons of highly flammable methanol. They used a welding torch to cut up the roof. Sparks from the welding torch ignited methanol vapor coming from the tank. The flames flashed back into the tank, causing an explosion inside. A jet of fire engulfed the crane operator, who died of his injuries. The two workers who were above the tank were severely burned. One was found dead at the scene. If the same maintenance project had been done by employees of the private sector, OSHA’s hot work standard would have required precautions to control welding hazards. And OSHA’s hazard communication standard would have required the workers to be informed of the dangers of methanol. Following our investigation, the Chemical Safety Board recommended that Florida require all state agencies, counties, and cities to follow OSHA standards.

That was in 2007. Several weeks ago, a state task force in Florida completed a thorough review of the issue and concurred that the state should require OSHA compliance for all public employees within three years. I commend the task force for its work, and I encourage Governor Crist and the Florida legislature to promptly enact its recommendations. Furthermore, the accident in Florida should serve as a cautionary tale to the 25 other states that are in the same situation. Our public employees are simply too vital an asset to risk their being killed, injured, or disabled in preventable workplace accidents.

Maintain Process Safety During the Recession

By John S. Bresland

As the holidays approach, Americans are getting some much-needed relief at the gas pump where prices have been dropping. While that’s good news for drivers, the economic downturn will likely reduce margins at the nation’s oil refineries. As refining margins fall, the pressure will always be there to trim operating expenses – perhaps by delaying a needed repair project or cutting operator positions. During this period of economic uncertainty for refineries, management and workers alike need to remain focused on process safety. Oil company managers, executives, and boards of directors should ensure that fluctuating oil prices do not impact needed preventive maintenance and investment in the nation’s refineries. Unfortunately, around the country, refinery accidents continue to be a concern. On November 20th, during seemingly routine operations, flammable hydrocarbons were suddenly released, causing an explosion and fire at a refinery in Tyler, Texas.

Two workers at the refinery were fatally burned. The explosion also damaged a manned room located near the perimeter of the unit. The company has announced that the refinery will remain shut down until the middle of next year. In February 2008, a refinery in Big Spring, Texas, experienced a major explosion that caused damage both on-site and off-site. And just the month before, a veteran employee was killed in a process-related explosion at a refinery in Texas City, Texas. That’s the same refinery where 15 workers died – and 180 others were injured – in a devastating blast on March 23, 2005.

The Chemical Safety Board found that corporate spending decisions in the 1990s – when oil prices were low – played into the tragedy. Our investigation noted that preventive maintenance, training, and control room staffing were cut in an effort to economize. Managers deferred the installation of modern flare systems to control hydrocarbon releases. The accident, years later, not only caused untold human suffering but also cost the company billions of dollars – a far heavier price than the safety equipment and management systems that could have prevented the disaster. My safety message for oil and chemical companies is clear: even during economic downturns, spending for needed process safety measures must be maintained. Downturns and recessions can actually be a good time to take care of deferred maintenance. In fact, as noted process safety expert Trevor Kletz has observed, downturns and recessions can actually be a good time to take care of deferred maintenance. That’s because there’s less financial impact from temporarily shutting down a process during periods when sales are depressed. Today, as gasoline prices remain low, companies should weigh each decision to make sure that the safety of plant workers, contractors, and communities is protected. In the long run, companies that continue to invest in safety will reap benefits far into the future.