Articles
Husky Refinery incident sparks critical PSM lessons
October 20, 2024
PRESENTED BY
All in one compliance excellence platform. Only pay for what you need.
On April 26, 2018, a devastating explosion rocked the Husky Energy Refinery in Superior, Wisconsin, injuring 36 workers and causing $550 million in damage. The incident serves as a reminder of the importance of robust process safety management in the oil and gas industry.
What Went Wrong?
Here are some key causes behind this catastrophic event:
- Lack of shutdown procedures. Husky Energy failed to implement critical safety measures during maintenance, including not creating a steam barrier.
- Equipment failure. A severely eroded slide valve allowed air to mix with flammable hydrocarbons, leading to an explosion.
- Insufficient training. Workers lacked adequate knowledge on how to safely shut down operations.
Critical PSM lessons learned
The Husky Refinery incident offers valuable insights for improving process safety management:
- Implement robust shutdown procedures. Develop specific safety measures and procedures for critical periods like maintenance.
- Comprehensive training is key. Prioritize regular refresher courses, hands-on practice, and ensure experienced personnel are available during operations.
Don't repeat the mistakes
The Husky Refinery incident highlights the importance of:
- Regular equipment inspections
- Prompt addressing of known issues
- Learning from past incidents
- Comprehensive emergency preparedness
- Maintaining process safety knowledge transfer and sharing
Let's not get complacent and learn from past incidents to prevent future tragedies.
Sources and additional reading:
https://www.safetynewsalert.com/articles/safety-issues-husky-superior-refinery-explosion/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2018_Husky_Energy_Refinery_explosion
