Pemex’s Deadly Incident Points To Poor Alert Systems
The recent chemical leak at the Pemex Deer Park, Texas, refinery Oct. 10 that killed two contract workers and resulted in dozens of injuries, prompted the Houston Landing to investigate the petrochemical industry’s community alert system.
Reporter Elena Bruess wrote, “The incident on Oct. 10 is not new to Deer Park. For decades, Harris County has been a hub for the energy and chemical industry. Hundreds of petrochemical plants, refinery facilities and other industries stretch for miles across Greater Houston, the Ship Channel and throughout the bay. The county’s lack of zoning laws leaves residents living in places like Deer Park, Channelview, Galena Park, and Pasadena vulnerable to petrochemical leaks and explosions by proximity.
“This means quick response and proper alert systems after a petrochemical disaster can be life-and-death for community members.”
Bruess explains Houston’s Community Awareness Emergency Response Online (CAER), created in 1988 to facilitate communications in case of petrochemical emergencies, is only as good as the information inputted -- and in many cases, it follows the garbage-in, garbage-out scenario. And it’s not just a phenomenon that happens in Houston.
Indeed, in 2023 Chemical Processing reported on an explosion at Ven Petrochem Pharma Co., Valsad, Gujarat, India, that killed at least two workers and injured several others. Firefighters reached the factory quickly but “could not start dousing the flames immediately as they were unaware about the type of chemicals which caused the blaze.”
Additionally, CP’s Process Safety with Trish & Traci podcast addressed the topic of helping first responders during process safety incidents. Trish Kerin, director of the IChemE Safety Centre notes that facility preparedness for emergencies involves understanding hazards, potential consequences, incident pathways, and internal response capabilities – and then communicating that information to the folks who can help.
The Houston Landing article notes, “Community members, public officials, and even industry members have expressed concerns about whether relying on the industry to self-monitor and report incidents via CAER in a timely way is the safest and most efficient option in emergency situations.”
It’s a good question.
