Review – CSB Publishes PEMEX H2S Release Investigation Report

Yesterday the Chemical Safety Board announced the publication of incident investigation report for the October 2024, fatal hydrogen sulfide leak at the PEMEX facility in Deer Park, TX. During the incident 27,000-lbs of H2S were released when contractors opened the wrong line during a maintenance procedure. Two workers were killed and 13 were transported to local hospitals for exposure to H2S. The report identified four key safety issues and the Board made four safety recommendations to prevent future such accidents.

This closed investigation leave just eight CSB open investigations. The four new recommendations brings the total number of CSB recommendations to date to 1,026 with 118 open recommendations.

Incident Summary

The Executive Summary for the report describes the incident:

“The release occurred when contract workers from Repcon, Inc. (Repcon) opened piping containing hydrogen sulfide gas. Instead of opening a pipe flange on empty piping, the workers mistakenly opened an identical piping segment 5 feet away, releasing pressurized hydrogen sulfide gas and fatally injuring one of the Repcon workers. The released hydrogen sulfide traveled downwind to the adjacent unit, where a worker from ISC Constructors, who was unaware of the release, inhaled the toxic hydrogen sulfide and also was fatally injured. The release continued for nearly an hour until PEMEX Deer Park emergency responders reassembled the leaking flange, stopping the release. Thirteen additional contract workers were transported to nearby medical facilities to be evaluated for hydrogen sulfide exposure”

 

For more information on the CSB report, including commentary on another potential safety issue, see my article at CFSN Detailed Analysis - https://patrickcoyle.substack.com/p/csb-publishes-pemex-h2s-release-investigation - subscription required.