Toxic gas emission cause for Sapugasakanda oil refinery accident

Ishara Mudugamuwa

Last year's fatal accident at the Sapugasakanda oil refinery was due to the release of a toxic gas, said Petroleum Industries Minister Susil Premajayantha after receiving the report presented to him by the three member special committee at the ministry yesterday. The accident at the Sapugaskanda oil refinery on November 16, 2012 at Unit 15 (Kero Merox) in area 1, killed two refinery workers who were reportedly engaged in repair work.

A three member special committee headed by Supreme Court Judge P K W Wijeratna was appointed to carry out an investigation into the incident. Former Civil Aviation Ministry Secretary Ranjith de Silva and Moratuwa University Chemical Science Engineering Department Prof Ajith de Silva were also appointed to investigate the incident.

The report states that the fatal accident occurred due to the release of toxic gas emission from the vent side line, when the bolts connecting the relief valve 15SV3 were removed by a three member working crew."A rigger was attendance to help with the hosting work of valve by the crane once all the bolts are removed and valve is isolated. The vent side is connected to the flare line via a non return valve," the report further states.

'The pressure on the flare side has been around 5psi. With the final removal of the bolts on the vent side of the valve the gas has come out from the vent side and has affected the personnel on the deck. Subsequent effects on the rest of the personnel happened when they had rushed into support the fellow workers but without any protection".

The report further mentioned that the lack of professional vigilance, including erosion of worker responsibility, non adherence to stand operational procedures, lack of prevalent knowledge about potential hazards, limited availability of right resources to ensure safety, lack of guidance and detailed awareness on operations and risks and due to the erosion of safety culture and internal discipline were also resulted to the fatal accident.

The committee has made a series of broad based and specific 39 recommendations with the overall recommendation being. The committee emphasized that the refinery should immediately take steps to upgrade its policies, practices, training and move towards becoming a refinery that adhere to best practices and international standards. The committee further recommended that the oil refinery is an institution of national importance and provision of adequate financial resources and support to ensure reaching this objective as a national policy imperative.

"There are people who made baseless allegations about this accident with the aim of seeking political mileage.