ГРАФИКИиСНИМКИ

On August 6, 2012, the Chevron U.S.A. Inc. Refinery in Richmond, California, experienced a catastrophic pipe failure in the #4 Crude Unit. The pipe ruptured, releasing flammable, hydrocarbon process fluid which partially vaporized into a large vapor cloud that engulfed nineteen Chevron employees. All of the employees escaped, narrowly avoiding serious injury. The flammable portion of the vapor cloud ignited just over two minutes after the pipe ruptured. The ignition and subsequent continued burning of the hydrocarbon process fluid resulted in a large plume of unknown and unquantified particulates and vapor traveling across the Richmond, California, area. In the weeks following the incident, approximately 15,000 people from the surrounding area sought medical treatment due to the release. Testing commissioned by the CSB and the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) determined that the pipe failed due to thinning caused by sulfidation corrosion, a common damage mechanism in refineries. As a result of the incident, the Chevron Richmond Refinery crude unit remains out of commission over eight months later. In addition, Cal/OSHA issued the refinery 17 citations related to the incident and eight additional citations, with a total proposed fine of nearly one million dollars.