Big Spring Oil Refinery Explosion

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What can we learn from the terrible news coming out of Big Spring, Texas today?

It makes me wonder about oil refinery safety and begs the question…What can businesses (especially oil refineries) do to prevent incidents like this from happening?

Although there are still plenty of questions left unanswered about what caused the the Big Spring, Texas oil refinery explosion, it is clear that the potential for significant loss to business and life occurs through fires in the workplace every year. Some past examples like; Abbeystead, HMS Glasgow and BP Grangemouth can’t be ignored. Although it appears as though this recent explosion in Big Spring, Texas did not result in a signifcant loss of life, What if it wasn’t a holiday, how many more workers would have been injured?

Whether large or small, fire causes personal suffering, damage to facilities, communities, equipment and buildings, and loss of business. There are two excellent books for business owners and risk managers to consider. The first book is written by Norman Thompson, Fire Hazards in Industry. It is suitable for those with little or no experience in fire safety and empowers staff to begin developing their own fire risk assessment. The second book, Handbook of Fire & Explosion Protection Engineering Principles for Oil, Gas, Chemical, & Related Facilities is more of a handbook but has decent content specifically related to those in the oil, gas and chemical plants.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to all of those effected by the Big Spring, Texas explosion.

Related Oil Refinery Explosion Articles

OAOA - Big Spring explosion

Associated Press - Explosion at Texas Oil Refinery Hurts 1

KFDM News - Explosion at Big Spring Refinery Felt Miles Away

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