Equilon plant management

There were no credible indications of the temperature of the coke inside the vessel. The only temperature sensors were on the outside of the dmm. Although the operators believed that steam had passed into the drum, no steam had actually been admitted to the drum. Furthermore, no attempt had been made to put water into the drum. Nevertheless, on the morning of November 25, the foreman and operators reviewed the drnm temperature sensors and concluded that the drum contents had cooled sufficiently. It appears that Equilon plant management were also involved in the decision to go ahead, and a Permit to Work was issued for a specialist contractor, Western Plant Services, to open up the drum. Wearing oxygen masks, workers removed the top lid from the drum safely. 

The Washington State Department of Labor and Industries set up an investigation that lasted 8 months. Their report criticized the Equilon plant managers for allowing the coking drum to be opened when it had only air-cooled for some 37 hours, instead of the normal steam- and water-cooling process. 

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