U.S. Chemical Safety Board details fatal BP-Husky refinery fire

The U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) has released a video detailing a fatal 2022 fire at the BP-Husky refinery in Oregon, Ohio. The incident, which killed two employees, occurred after a process upset caused liquid naphtha to enter a fuel gas mix drum. Believing the liquid was an amine-water solution, employees released it to the ground, creating a large flammable vapor cloud that ignited later that evening.

The CSB investigation highlighted several contributing factors, including an alarm flood where operators received 3,712 alarms in a single day, leading to communication errors and delayed responses. Additionally, a communication gap following a leadership meeting was noted.

In a separate public meeting, CSB Chair Steve Owens reported that incidents in fiscal year 2026 have been particularly deadly, with 53 deaths reported since October 1, compared to 36 in fiscal year 2025. However, executive director Steve Klejst noted that the three-month moving average of accidental release reports has recently trended downward for the first time since late 2024.