Failure to Follow Safety Guidelines Cited in Blast : Inquiry: Gases ignited after escaping through a disconnected pipeline at Mobil refinery in Torrance, company says. The October explosion injured 28.
The October explosion that rocked the Mobil Oil Corp. refinery in Torrance occurred after refinery and contract workers failed to follow safety procedures, allowing flammable gases to flow into a pipeline left disconnected after construction work, according to a Mobil investigation released Thursday.
The mix of propane and butane escaped through the disconnected pipe and ignited, injuring 28 workers and causing the refinery’s most serious accident in seven years. The Mobil report says the root cause of the explosion was a failure by an independent contractor, I.S.T. Mechanical Corp. of Carson, to ensure that the pipeline project was completed before transferring custody to Mobil.
But the report also criticizes some of Mobil’s employees for “failure to follow sound start-up operating practices” and for violating refinery policy for removing locks from valves. Five Mobil employees have been fired or disciplined, said Joel H. Maness, Mobil western regional manager.
“The checks and balances failed in this particular case,” Maness said Thursday.
The contractor, I.S.T. Mechanical, issued a written statement Thursday, stating that its own ongoing investigation will be expanded to include a review of the accuracy of Mobil’s report.
“Based on information reviewed by ISTM to date, ISTM disagrees with certain of the conclusions made by Mobil,” the statement said. The contractor will respond when its own investigation is done, ISTM said.
The Oct. 19 explosion has rekindled a decades-old debate in Torrance over the safety of the 750-acre refinery, which is next to residential neighborhoods. Cal/OSHA and a court-monitored safety adviser are also investigating the explosion.
The Mobil report states that the explosion occurred after gases escaped through an open flange in a six-inch pipe. It concludes that the flange apparently had been left open as part of a pipe-rerouting project conducted by ISTM.
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The report states that ISTM removed blinds--metal sealing devices in the pipe--before inspecting the job to make sure it was complete. As a result, part of the flange was left open when the line began operating, the report states.
A Mobil employee walked along the line before it was put into operation but did not notice the open flange, according to the report. Moreover, safety procedures were not followed in the removal of locks at three valves, it states.
Mobil said that it has instructed ISTM to remove three employees from the refinery who were involved in the incident. Mobil is also increasing the frequency of its safety audits, and is implementing “a comprehensive program to thoroughly analyze refinery systems, employee behavior and accountability at all levels,” the report says.
