CSB Releases Fact Update on PES Refinery Explosion

Posted on 10/28/2019 by Roger Marks

The Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) released a factual update on the major incident at the PES Refinery in Philadelphia in the early morning hours of June 21, 2019.

CSB also released a preliminary animation of the incident.

Beginning at 3:20 a.m. on June 21, an unintentional release of hydrocarbon vapors led to three explosions at the PES refinery. The refinery has been described as the largest facility of its kind on the eastern seaboard. The facility produced about 335,000 barrels (14 million gallons) of crude oil per day.

Four employees were treated for minor injuries on site. A shelter-in-place order was put in place for nearby residents, and parts of Interstate 76 were closed while more than 100 firefighters battled the fire.

A passing motorist caught the third and biggest explosion on a cell phone camera and posted it to Twitter:

@6abc @CBSPhilly @FOX29philly Philadelphia energy Solutions Refining Complex at about 4:15 am pic.twitter.com/vK1Vs2MEfR
— hood’s favorite vegan (@1nicetownbean) June 21, 2019

Online 49 CFR & RCRA Training

Need to renew your hazmat shipping or hazardous waste certification? Complete your required training when and where you want with these two easy-to-use refresher courses:

Recurrent Hazmat Ground Shipper Certification
Keep your knowledge of DOT's Hazardous Materials Regulations (HMR) up to date and satisfy the three-year hazmat training mandate at 49 CFR 172.704.

RCRA Hazardous Waste Management Refresher
This streamlined course provides annually required RCRA training on critical hazardous waste management, storage, and disposal requirements for generators. Satisfy EPA's annual training mandate at 40 CFR 262.17.

Both of these online courses are updated continuously to cover the latest US DOT and US EPA regulations that impact your operations. Enroll now or check out the complete Course Catalog here.

Tags: accidents, chemical, hazmat incident, PES refinery, safety

Find a Post

Search for:

Compliance Topics

Compliance Archives

I chose Lion's online webinar because it is simple, effective, and easily accessible.

Jeremy Bost

Environmental Health & Safety Technician

The instructor did an excellent job presenting a very dry subject; keeping everyone interested and making it enjoyable.

Marc Bugg

Hazardous Waste Professional

I was able to present my scenario to the instructor and worked thru the regulations together. In the past, I attended another training firm's classes. Now, I have no intention of leaving Lion!

Diana Joyner

Senior Environmental Engineer

Lion was very extensive. There was a lot of things that were covered that were actually pertaining to what I do and work with. Great Job. I will be coming back in three years!

Tony Petrik

Hazmat Shipping Professional

Excellent. I learned more in two days with Lion than at a 5-day program I took with another provider.

Francisco Gallardo

HES Technician

The instructor was great, explaining complex topics in terms that were easily understandable and answering questions clearly and thoroughly.

Brittany Holm

Lab Supervisor

The training was impressive. I am not a fan of online training but this was put together very well. I would recommend Lion to others.

Donnie James

Quality Manager

These are the best classes I attend each year. I always take something away and implement improvements at my sites.

Kim Racine

EH&S Manager

Much better than my previous class with another company. The Lion instructor made sense, kept me awake and made me laugh!

Marti Severs

Enterprise Safety Manager

The course was very well structured and covered the material in a clear, concise manner.

Ian Martinez

Hazmat Shipping Professional

Download Our Latest Whitepaper

A guide to developing standard operating procedures, or SOPs, that help you select, manage, and audit your hazmat agents and contractors.

Download

By submitting your phone number, you agree to receive recurring marketing and training text messages. Consent to receive text messages is not required for any purchases. Text STOP at any time to cancel. Message and data rates may apply. View our Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy.