Digest
Refinery Cooling Tower Explosion and Fire — Process Safety Beacon, October 2025
Refinery Cooling Tower Explosion and Fire — Process Safety Beacon, October 2025
- CCPS
- Digest
- Process Safety Beacon October 2025
- ExplosionHot Work and FireProcess Safety
- CorrosionExplosionFireHydrocarbon releaseProcess safety
- Hot work
- Process pipework and pipelinesValve
- Safety communicationSimultaneous operations coordination
- Downstream and process industries
Summary
A refinery cooling tower incident in India illustrates how hydrocarbons leaking from a heat exchanger can accumulate in cooling water pipework and escape during commissioning. Ignition was likely associated with nearby hot work. The bulletin discusses exchanger vulnerability, start-up hazards and notifying nearby workers so they can suspend work.
Classifications: Corrosion; corrosion damage.
Classifications: Explosion; explosive atmospheres.
Classifications: Fire; fire safety.
Classifications: Hydrocarbon release; hydrocarbon leak; oil and gas release.
Classifications: Process safety; major accident hazards.
Classifications: Hot work; welding and cutting.
Classifications: Process pipework and pipelines; process piping.
Classifications: Valve; valves.
Classifications: Safety communication; toolbox talk; toolbox talks.
Classifications: Simultaneous operations coordination; SIMOPS; simultaneous operations.
Classifications: Downstream and process industries; refining; petrochemicals.
Summary
One-page process safety lesson drawn from an explosion and fire at a refinery cooling tower.
Process Safety Beacon October 2025. Themes: explosion, hot work and fire, process safety.