Refinery in state of high volatility
FROM PAGE 31
July 2016 alone, WorkSafe dealt with a long roll call of issues at Viva’s sites.
These include the loss of 10,000 litres of the flammable liquid known as Slops; 4000 litres of mineral turpentine; multiple leaks of hydrocarbon and leaks of hydrogen sulfide and nitrogen.
In October, the inherent risk became reality when a worker stepped back into a puddle of condensate that was about 70-80 degrees.
“The fitter’s lower leg was submerged in the condensate up to approximately their knee, which resulted in burns,” inspector Michael Eather later wrote.
The fitter was taken to St John of God hospital, before being transferred to The Alfred hospital for treatment.
Mr Eather would detail a litany of flaws on the company’s part, which would lead to him issuing an improvement notice.
“The failure to provide a system of work that is, so far as is reasonably practicable, safe and without risks to health . . . could result in injuries to employees,” he wrote.
The incident would be the final trigger for the AWU, and three days later a blockade involving up to 400 workers would begin at Viva’s gates.
AWU state organiser Gavin Penn said people were not turning up to the refinery because they feared for their safety.
“I had one person ring me up in tears, saying, ‘I can’t go back, I’ve got a wife and kids and they’re more important to me than losing my life out there.’
“It’s a dangerous, dangerous, environment to work in . . . we want the place fixed.”
To help end the impasse, Viva Energy agreed to conduct a review of its safety systems and practices relating its ongoing $100 million maintenance project.
By the end of October, WorkSafe had made a number of further recommendations, including about working at heights.
It followed an incident where a 1.4kg steel lug fell about 13 metres and landed close to workers in a lower section.
The blockade was over and the review completed, but WorkSafe did not stay away for long.
Inspectors would make eight site visits just in November.
One trip was to confirm that an improvement notice, issued in July, had been complied with.
That notice dealt with Viva Energy’s ability to provide a safe system of work in the event that operators didn’t cover their shifts due to industrial action.
It came a week after stopwork action by staff working on the Western Port-Altona-Geelong pipeline, who had concerns about asbestos exposure.
Then the following day, on November 17, a UGL employee was exposed to a sulphuric acid cloud caused by a leak from discharge piping.
After the strong acid travelled on the prevailing wind, the worker felt burning on their face, eyes and mouth.
Fifty litres of sulphuric acid was lost in the incident, according to WorkSafe’s report.
growing divide between staff and management was exacerbated during the company’s organisational review.
The full-scale inquiry was causing angst among the workforce, with changes to equipment, consolidation of roles and transfer of tasks all on the table.
Creating further anxiety was a belief that Viva was not liaising with its Health and Safety representatives while it crafted the plan.
After a complaint was lodged with WorkSafe, the authority learnt that Viva would only talk to staff once management had formulated a proposal.
Inspector Michael Eather intervened, ordering the company in February to consult with the staff representatives about its proposed changes.
In early March, Viva publicly announced that it had begun telling staff about the review’s findings, which recommended shedding 50 jobs over an 18-month transition period.
“Safety has been at the forefront of the review and will continue to be the focus as we now move to the next stage, which is consultation with the work group,” general manager Thys Heyns said.
“We recognise that this announcement may create uncertainty for our workforce and we will provide support throughout this period.”
Five days after Mr Heyns publicly declared safety would be a key focus, hot oil spilt out of a pump at the Geelong refinery.
At a piping hot 340 degrees celsius, the long residue oil had the potential to spontaneously ignite and start a flash fire.
With operators in the vicinity of the spill, Viva Energy’s on-site emergency response team was quickly called in and the pump shut.
The primary danger, a fiery explosion, was thankfully avoided.
Over the next five hours, the troubled pump line was drained and about 1400 litres of product was lost.
A WorkSafe inspector visited the Corio refinery that afternoon, but was not told about the incident.
The environmental watchdog learnt of the spill 13 days later, via its anonymous hotline.
In the intervening period, an ambulance had rushed a worker to hospital after they suffered a small but nasty chemical burn on their neck.
The Hydrofluoric acid spill — which can cause severe burns and, in certain cases, can be fatal — was one of several leaks of the hazardous substance over the past few months.
Mr Eather said there had been multiple compression fittings failures that had resulted in leaks in the Mogas area since October 2016.
“Hydrofluoric acid exposure can cause severe skin and eye burns and in certain cases, exposure can be fatal,” he wrote.
Another incident in March was not reported to WorkSafe.
A contract welder was performing “hot work” on a steam line when they observed a strange noise from the pipe.
Subsequent gas testing showed there was the potential for fire or an explosion.
five-year licence to operate the Corio refinery expires in May next year, with the company having to demonstrate its safety credentials to remain open.
“Major hazard facilities such as Viva operate under a strict licensing regime managed by WorkSafe,” a WorkSafe spokesman said.
“Any facility that fails to maintain appropriate safety standards will have its operating licence cancelled.”
While the AWU suspects Viva will gain a new operating licence, Mr Davis warned that it wasn’t a certainty.
“Between us and WorkSafe we’re capable of improving the safety culture, if Viva are willing to work with us.”
There has been a lot of bad blood between management and the union over the past 18 months, so the olive branch may not be accepted.
Viva leaders remain optimistic, with Mr Heyns telling the Geelong Advertiser he was proud of their performance.
He said the company welcomed WorkSafe’s advice because it helped them continuously improve.
“Viva Energy is committed to operating to the highest standards and to strive for Goal Zero — no harm to people or the environment.”