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 really enjoy your workshops. Thank you for such a great program and all the help Lion has provided me over the years!

George Chatman

Hazardous Material Pharmacy Technician

Lion courses always set the bar for content, reference, and practical application. Membership and access to the experts is an added bonus.

John Brown, CSP

Director of Safety & Env Affairs

Lion does a great job summarizing and communicating complicated EH&S-related regulations.

Michele Irmen

Sr. Environmental Engineer

One of the best trainings I have ever received!

Brandon Morfin

EH&S Manager

Given the choice, I would do all coursework this way. In-person courses go very fast without the opportunity to pause or repeat anything.

Ellen Pelton

Chemical Laboratory Manager

This is a very informative training compared to others. It covers everything I expect to learn and even a lot of new things.

Quatama Jackson

Waste Management Professional

I can take what I learned in this workshop and apply it to everyday work and relate it to my activities.

Shane Hersh

Materials Handler

Excellent course. Very interactive. Explanations are great whether you get the questions wrong or right.

Gregory Thompson

Environmental, Health & Safety Regional Manager

The workshop covered a lot of information without being too overwhelming. Lion is much better, more comprehensive than other training providers.

George Alva

Manufacturing 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

Ace hazmat inspections. Protect personnel. Defend against civil and criminal penalties. How? See the self-audit "best practices" for hazardous materials shippers.

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.