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SITEX Emergency Case Studies

Northern Texas Oil Refinery

Borger, Texas | July 2010 – September 2010

In the summer of 2010 SITEX Environmental (SITEX) provided emergency response services for a 146,000 barrel per day refinery in northern Texas. During a planned shut-down, a 16” steam line ruptured spraying steam and asbestos insulation debris over a wide area which encompassed multiple operational Units. No personnel were injured directly by the steam blast however several contract workers required first aid due to the emergency evacuation. Once the initial shock subsided, plant management realized that they had an asbestos exposure hazard to deal with. All shut-down activities in these areas were brought to a halt and SITEX was called for help.

SITEX mobilized a team of 30 people at the site including industrial hygienists, engineers, air monitoring professionals, asbestos analysts, as well as operations management personnel and set up a command center onsite. The affected areas were assessed and work plans for remediation of asbestos materials were developed which took into account the degree of contamination as well as the operational priorities of the refinery. Over twenty distinct locations were impacted as well as two vehicles whose windows had been blown out by the force of the blast.

SITEX managed and inspected these efforts, in the process collecting over 3,000 air, bulk and surface dust samples to document conditions during remediation and to ensure safety prior to re-occupancy. Consistent and effective communication by SITEX with plant management, safety & health personnel, as well as regulatory agencies, helped to ensure a smooth effort, minimizing the chances of future litigation.

SITEX provided the timely response and technical expertise this client needed to protect its’ personnel and contractors from potential asbestos exposure after this catastrophic incident, guiding them through the necessary clean-up process so that they could get back to business.