Sodegaura Refinery Accident

This accident occurred on October 16,1992 when the Sodegaura refinery in Japan, following the breaking-off of the lock ring of the channel cover of heat exchanger and the blowing-off of the lock ring, channel cover, and other parts, experienced an explosion and fire [1,7]. As the result of this accident, 10 people were killed and 11 injured [1,7]. 

In regard to maintenance, some of the factors that directly or indirectly played an important role in the occurrence of this accident were as follows [1,7]  

Additional information on Sodegaura Refinery accidenf is available in References 1 and 7. 

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Past experiences indicate that industries such as petroleum and chemical that handle hazardous substances are more prone to major accidents. Maintenance can play a major role in the occurrence of such accidents. Some examples of the major accidents in the area of oil and gas industrial sector in which maintenance, directly or indirectly, has played a major role are Piper Alpha Disaster, Texas City Refinery Explosion, Sodegaura Refinery Disaster, and the Bhopal Gas Tragedy [1]. 

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