According to CSB, more than 200 people attended the public meeting in Texas City – nearly 2 years after an explosion and fire at BP's refinery there killed 15 workers and injured 180.
Earlier in the day in Houston, CSB investigators unveiled a 335-page final report that pins much of the blame for the accident on a dysfunctional safety culture that pervaded all levels of BP. The report also criticizes OSHA for lax oversight of refineries such as BP's Texas City facility.
The report includes CSB's recommendations to BP, OSHA, the United Steelworkers Union and the oil industry to improve U.S. refinery safety.
“With the vote tonight, we embark on seeking the most significant safety improvements ever pursued by this agency,” CSB Chairwoman Carolyn Merritt said. “The 15 men and women who died here 2 years ago must not be allowed to perish in vain. Their lives, their dreams and their hopes – and the manner in which they lost them – must never be forgotten.”
According to the agency, the full text of the report and safety recommendations will be posted on http://www.csb.gov within the next week.