Co-op Refinery Complex Refinery explosion

abarrelfull wrote on 30 Dec 2013 07:27
Tags: canada co-op n-america refinery

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At approximately 3:30 p.m. on Dec. 24, 2013, an explosion occurred at the Co-op Refinery Complex (CRC) in Regina, Sask., in a unit used to manufacture gasoline from propane and butane.

Emergency responders at the CRC were immediately deployed to control the fire. Lines in and out of the unit were shut off, but fuel already in the system continued to burn until 9 p.m. The all-clear signal, indicating the end to potential danger, was given at 10 p.m. with emergency responders released at 11 p.m.

Regina Fire and Protective Services were on standby on the perimeter of the CRC, but were not needed as the fire was under control within the first hour without further incident. All employees have been accounted for and there were no injuries as a result of the explosion.

CRC emergency responders practiced the skill and expertise in a high pressure situation for which they have trained. Thank you for your courage and dedication in pursuit of safety.

Safety of employees and the general public is ultimately Federated Co-operatives Limited’s (FCL) top priority. No matter the size, every incident at the CRC is considered serious. Numerous events in the past two years are concerning.

That is why maintenance and safety programs are continuously developed, implemented, evaluated and improved. A comprehensive Process Safety Management (PSM) system has been in development for the past three years and focuses on safety, reliability and sustainability, with implementation slated to continue in 2014. Also, a new equipment reliability group was recently established to help improve equipment integrity.

These efforts are currently in progress and were attempts to be proactive in safety initiatives. Only when the cause of the latest incident is known can FCL determine if further initiatives or amendments to current practices are necessary.

FCL will be co-operating with Regina Fire and Protective Services to determine a cause to this explosion. An investigation will begin once the site has been deemed safe, expected in the next couple days. The investigation may take several weeks and subsequent repairs will take several months.

• Co-op Refinery Complex Refinery explosion

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