Phillips Disaster 1989 - Copy

8/18/2019 Phillips Disaster 1989 - Copy

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he Phillips Disaster refers to a devastating

he Phillips Disaster refers to a devastating

series of

eries of

explosions and fire

xplosions and fire

on

on

October 23, 1989

ctober 23, 1989

near the

ear the

Houston

ouston

hip !hannel in Pasadena, exas, "#

hip !hannel in Pasadena, exas, "#

, causing

causing

death of 23

eath of 23

e$plo%ees and 31& in'ured$plo%ees and 31& in'ured ( 18) Phillips ** e$plo%ees and18) Phillips ** e$plo%ees and

129 contract e$plo%ees+

29 contract e$plo%ees+


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he Houston !he$ical !o$plex H!!-

he Houston !he$ical !o$plex H!!- facilit%facilit%

hadhad 9.) co$pan% e$plo%ees9.) co$pan% e$plo%ees and approxi$atel%and approxi$atel%

*.. dail% contract e$plo%ees*.. dail% contract e$plo%ees, /ho /ere engaged, /ho /ere engaged

pri$aril% inpri$aril% in regular $aintenance activitiesregular $aintenance activities andand ne/ne/

plant constructionplant construction++


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The facilit% produced approxi$atel% 1),... $illion pounds

0


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here $a% have been as $an% assix $ore explosions in

all+


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The fire /as brought under control /ithin about 1. hours as a result of theco$bined efforts of fire brigades fro$ other nearb% co$panies, local fire

depart$ents, and the Phillips ** foa$ trucs and fire brigade+


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pontaneous !hain Transfer4

!r ( !H2 ( !H2 ( pol%$er 05 !r ( H 6 !H2 7 !H ( pol%$er

This is the principal chain0transfer for the Phillips process /ith the use of a chro$iu$

catal%st+ ts i$portance increases rapidl% /ith increasing te$perature and it provideseas% $eans of controlling $olecular /eight+

!hain Transfer /ith H%drogen4

!r ( pol%$er 6 H2 05 !r ( H 6 pol%$er 0 H


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#! !#"

PERSONAL FACTOR JOB FACTOR MANAGEMENT/ORGANIZATIONFACTOR

Site procedures laid do!details t"at air "oses to #al#esere to $e disco!!ected prior to%ai!te!a!ce or& as !otcarried out

'e!tilatio! i!ta&es o( $uildi!)sclose to or do!i!d o( t"eprocess pla!t ere !ot arra!)edto pre#e!t t"e i!ta&e o( )as i!t"e e#e!t o( release

A! e((ecti#e per%it to or&*PT+, (or $ot" co%pa!-e%plo-ees a!d co!tractors as!ot e!(orced $- t"e co%pa!-

It as li&el- t"at i!di#iduals i!

certai! parts o( t"e pla!t ereu!a$le to "ear t"e sire!

T"e i!te!ded co!trol ce!tre as

da%a)ed $e-o!d use a!dtelep"o!e co%%u!icatio!s eredisrupted

Bot" t"e co%pa!- a!d i!dustr-

sa(et- re.uired isolatio! $-%ea!s o( dou$le$loc& s-ste%or t"e use o( $li!d (la!)e01oe#er2 at a pla!t le#el aprocedure "ad $ee! adopted"ic" did !ot co%pl- it" t"is

T"e air "oses to t"e #al#e "ad

$ee! crossco!!ected so t"att"e air suppl- t"at s"ould "a#eclosed t"e #al#e actuall- ope!edit

T"e locatio! o( t"e co!trol

roo%2 separatio! dista!ces$etee! pla!t a!d escaperoutes *particularl- (orad%i!istrati#e sta((, erecriticised

T"e site "eld a lar)e i!#e!tor- o(

(la%%a$le %aterials u!der "i)"pressure -et it "as !o (i3ed )asdetectio! s-ste%


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:OO !#" #;#


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De$co >alve

:eactor ettling


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ased on OH#?s findings there are fe/ /eaness in thePhillips ** !o$pan% Houston !he$ical !o$plex productionplants4


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23 e$plo%ees23 e$plo%ees /ho /ere/ho /ere

/ithin 2). ft of the point/ithin 2). ft of the point

/here the gas /as initiall%/here the gas /as initiall%

releasedreleased /ere illed/ere illed /hile/hile

31& people /ere in'ured+31& people /ere in'ured+

!apital losses /ere

initiall% esti$ated at over@A1) $illion+ usinessdisruption losses /erenearl% as great, @A..$illion+

!B# !hairperson,


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T P


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!O;!


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Peacoc, #+ E+ 2...-+ Handboo of Pol%eth%lene4 tructures, Properties and #pplications+ BarcelDeer, nc4 ;e/ =or

=ates, E+ 1989-+ "++ ire #d$inistrationFTechnil :eport eries4 Phillips Petroleu$ !he$ical Plantxplosion and ire

BacDonald, D+ 2..&-+ Practical HaGops, Trips and #lar$s+ ;e/nes lsevier4 ;etherlands, pg 23

T/eeddale, B+ 2..3-+ Banaging :is and :eliabilit% of Process Plants+ ulf Professional Publishing4"#


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Phillips Disaster 1989 - Copy

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