DEER PARK, Texas – The U.S. Chemical Safety Board has released an update on its investigation into the deadly gas release at the Deer Park PEMEX facility in October.
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The Board says the deadly incident happened after two contract workers partially opened a flanged connection on piping containing hydrogen sulfide gas, which caused the release. One of those two workers died.
According to the CSB, the work was supposed to be done on a different, isolated piping segment about five feet away from the flange they opened.
“Two other contract workers from a separate company, who were working on equipment less than 250 feet away and downwind from the release, were also affected, with one fatally injured from the hydrogen sulfide exposure,” the CSB said.
35 other workers were treated as a result of the leak on Oct. 10.
The accident caused shelter-in-place orders in Deer Park and Pasadena which lasted for several hours. Nearby Highway 225 was also shut down temporarily.
Several lawsuits have been filed on behalf of the workers who were hurt as well as the families of the workers who died.
CSB Chairperson Steve Owens said, “Hydrogen sulfide is a highly toxic substance that can result in serious injury and death even at low concentrations. This dangerous incident resulted in the death of of two workers and put others workers and the surrounding communities at very serious risk.”
The CSB’s investigation into the incident is focused on several key areas, including:
- Permit-to-work practices
- Energy isolation procedures
- Contractor management systems
- Emergency preparedness, communication, and response systems
- Hazard analyses and risk assessments
- Maintenance procedures
- Training programs
- Respiratory protection
- Remote isolation capability
The CSB continues to investigate the incident.