It is clear all of the contracted workers associated with the case study all completed their orientation training. At the same time, these new employees were tasked with the job of isolating the acid feed steam for the Claus unit, which they failed to do. This paper will discuss the hazards present, the steps the incident command must conduct, explain changes to plan if polymerization occurs, and explains changes to plan based on the result of the post incident critique.
First of all, it is clear continuous training is essential to the refreshment of knowledge in order to avoid potential incidents in the future, which are often caused by complacency (Crowcon News, 2011). Training is important because it not only teaches the new employees what they are doing, but why certain practices and procedures are necessary to the overall safety and well-being. New personnel are often assigned work tasks, which involve hazardous chemicals and areas, with a limited amount of training about the gas hazards and detection practices that are used to maintain the safety of the location.
Burning is defined as a simple chemical reaction that involves oxygen reacting with the gas. Hydrocarbons are the main constituents of crude oil and gas, which are one of the simplest organic compounds (Crowcon News, 2011). As the oil is cooled it becomes diesel, then kerosene, petrol, and then propane/butane. For the ignition to take place during the fire, the concentration of the gas, or vapor in the air is at a level it will react chemically with the oxygen in the air (Crowcon News, 2011).
As the incident commander, it became clear it was the failure of maintenance that needed to e done by the group of less experienced workers allowed the concentration reach a dangerous and hazardous level. The unified incident command focuses on bringing together the leaders of organizations all tasked with dealing with the fire emergency (Occupational Safety and Health Administration, 2017). The first responders including fire and police services are generally tasked with providing details about the incident to make changes to the safety plan already in place. There must be a plan that involves directing the activities associated with the development and implementation of objectives, strategies, by approving and ordering the release of available resources (Occupational Safety and Health Administration, 2017).
It is important to gather the information from the first responders to assess the scenario and determine what is the best plan of action. There are several individual incident commanders who work together to best coordinate an effective and efficient process and response (Occupational Safety and Health Administration, 2017). This process must begin with determining which scenarios need to be addressed first, and which can be left for later. Next assessments must be conducted in a timely manner to best decide what activities must be conducted next.
The fire department is responsible for several tasks, including managing the fire, locating victims, and managing the stability of the structure as a whole. The police are left to help get victims out of the fire and to available health services outside of the structure. Finally, the investigative team is sent in to determine the cause of the fire, and what could have been done to stop this from happening again.
If the polymerization unit is engulfed by the fire, it is important to reconsider the use of cold water to combat the fire. This is important, because the polymerization process occurs as the temperature begin to drop. This is a change to the plan, which primarily used water to combat the fire. This chemical reaction can change the hazardous scenario, which would require an assessment for the next process, which can ensure those involved will be safe and able to complete their job.
This is why it is so important for the members of the incident response teams to work together, because it brings the most resources to the table, because each individual organization representative understands what they are able to promise, and how those services can work with the other resources available from other organizations. These many departments and organizations working together enable the newer employees to learn from the more experienced people, while respecting the information collected by the first responders directly dealing with the problem.
Similar to the new employees failing to complete a work task that most likely resulted in the oil refinery fire, unexperienced first responders can make additional challenges for an incident like the oil refinery fire. This gap of experience can be harmful while dealing with the incident and troublesome for the investigation that must follow the incident. This is why a post incident critique is so important.
In conclusion, the post incident report creates a repository of information that is developed through the after-action activities that can catalog and reviews the problems encountered during the incident and the successful actions and processes taken to solve the incident (FEMA, 2008). It is through these reviews employees are able to learn from their mistakes, and successes of previous incidents. Finally, it is important for the oil refinery to develop a mentor mentee program that connects new employees with experienced employees who will hold the new employees accountable for their daily activities and the expectations of the job. Additionally, this can limit the likelihood a specific work task is not forgotten or overlooked because of lack of experience. There should also be a backup plan which involves supervisors ensuring these types of tasks are completed in a timely manner.
References
Crowcon News. (2011, February). Crowcon Detecting Gas and Saving Lives. Retrieved from Gas hazards in the oil, gas and petrochemical industries: http://halmapr.com/news/crowcon/2011/02/21/gas-hazards-in-the-oil-gas-and-petrochemical-industries/
FEMA. (2008). Special Report: The After-Action Critique: Training Through Lessons Learned. Jessup: U.S. Fire Administration/Technical Report Series .
Occupational Safety and Health Administration. (2017). United States Department of Labor. Retrieved from Occupational Safety and Health Administration: https://www.osha.gov/SLTC/etools/ics/what_is_uc.html
