BP Wrongly Blames Workers, Managers in Deadly US Explosion

US affiliate United Steelworkers (USW) expressed disbelief that BP blamed workers for the 23 March explosion at its Amoco refinery in Texas City, Texas. BP said in an interim report that the “root causes” were a failure to follow operating procedures by workers and supervisors, but backed off that statement when the USW called the company on it.

USW Region Six Director Gary Beevers said the blast that killed 15 and injured 170 could have been prevented had BP taken the union’s advice to properly vent hydrocarbons released from an isomerization unit and had not violated its own policy by granting a variance in placing contractors’ trailers in a dangerous location.