Two Workers Sustain Burns at BP's Texas City Refinery

Two employees at BP’s Texas City, Texas refinery have been hospitalized for steam burns, after working on a pipe still.

The pipe still is a stack of pipes that carry steam and petroleum products through the refinery.

The refinery was under review the next day, where personnel form the Houston-area BP refinery spent the day reviewing safety measures. This review wasn’t because of the previous days incident; it was part of a program implemented after a 2005 explosion at this same refinery, which killed 15 workers and injured 170.

One of the two injured, was flown to the University of Texas Medical branch in Galveston, Texas. He is reported to have sustained burns to more than 30% of his body. The other workers injuries were less serious, and he was taken by ambulance to the nearby Mainland Medical Center in Texas City, Texas.

The 2005 incident resulted in BP paying a record $50.6 million fine, and agreements to new safety standards and routine safety reviews. Just last week the EPA announced it was launching an investigation into the release of benzene at the Texas City refinery earlier this year, between April 6 and May 16, that may have violated the Clean Air Act.