Safety is a Major Concern for the Men and Women Working in the Oil Industry

The Chemical Safety Board (CSB) is an independent federal agency charged with investigating industrial chemical accidents. The job of CSB experts is to conduct root cause investigations of chemical accidents at fixed industrial facilities. Root causes are usually deficiencies in safety management systems, but can be any factor that would have prevented the accident if that factor had not occurred.

Below are some of the videos produced by the CSB that highlight the dangers of working in this industry and why men and women working in the oil industry are concerned about the dangers that need to be addressed.

If you are concerned about safety for workers and your communities, Click Here

behind curve

Behind the Curve - released October 28, 2014

This safety is video about the fatal April 2, 2010, explosion and fire at the Tesoro refinery in Anacortes, Washington. A nearly 40-year-old heat exchanger violently ruptured, causing an explosion and fire that fatally injured seven workers – the largest loss of life at a U.S. refinery since 2005. Click Here
   
Human Cost

The Human Cost of Gasoline - released March 12, 2014

An explosion and fire led to the fatal injury of seven employees when a nearly forty-year-old heat exchanger catastrophically failed during a maintenance operation to switch a process stream between two parallel banks of exchangers at the Tesoro refinery in Anacortes, Washington. Click Here
   
Animation of Explosion

Animation of Explosion at Tesoro's Anacortes Refinery - released January 14, 2014

An explosion and fire led to the fatal injury of seven employees when a nearly forty-year-old heat exchanger catastrophically failed on April 2, 2010. Click Here
   
Chevron Refinery Fire

Chevron Refinery Fire - released April 19, 2013

An August 6, 2012, release of flammable vapor led to a fire at the Chevron Refinery in Richmond, California. The CSB released three investigation reports into this incident - an Interim Report, a Regulatory Report and a Final Report. Click Here
   
Fire From Ice

Fire From Ice - released July 9, 2018

On February 16, 2007, a propane fire erupted at the Valero McKee Refinery in Sunray, Texas, north of Amarillo. Three workers suffered serious burns, and the refinery was forced to shut down. The fire began following a leak in the propane deasphalting unit and spread quickly, in part because of the rapid collapse of a major pipe rack carrying flammable hydrocarbons. Click Here
   
Anatomy of a Disaster

Anatomy of a Disaster - released March 21, 2008

A massive explosion kills 15 and injures 180 at the BP Texas City refinery. At approximately 1:20 p.m. on March 23, 2005, a series of explosions occurred at the BP Texas City refinery during the restarting of a hydrocarbon isomerization unit. Fifteen workers were killed and 180 others were injured. Many of the victims were in or around work trailers located near an atmospheric vent stack. Click Here

Press Inquiries

Media Contacts

Communications Director:
Jess Kamm at 412-562-2446

USW@WORK (USW magazine)
Editor R.J. Hufnagel

For industry specific inquiries,
Call USW Communications at 412-562-2442

Mailing Address

United Steelworkers
Communications Department
60 Blvd. of the Allies
Pittsburgh, PA 15222