When an explosion in the gas plant at longford left victoria without gas, a team was formed within 24 hours to restore gas to victoria. This book, about the explosion at essos longford refinery in australia, is a sobering report of a fatal disaster, and also can be interpreted as a story of an inneffective knowledge supply chain. Lessons from longford discussion questions 3 p a g e lessons from longford book is obtainable from futuremedia futuremedia pty ltd, level 3, 75 king street, sydney nsw 2000 australia t. The longford gas explosion was a catastrophic industrial accident which occurred at the esso natural gas plant at longford in the australian state of victorias gippsland region. Jul 12, 2001 esso australia convicted of safety breaches in fatal gas explosion by will marshall 12 july 2001 after a bitterly fought legal battle, a supreme court jury in the australian state of victoria has. One example of such an accident has occurred at essos longford plant in 1998, which. We remember those lost and stand with their families and workmates. The longford royal commission reported that poor handoff between shifts meant that the pump shutdown was not communicated to. Nov 15, 2002 coroner blames esso for longford disaster. A new multibilliondollar gas plant at longford in victorias east has the capability of powering a city of 1 million people for 35 years, and will help boost production for the domestic energy. In your work environment are there times when it is necessary to operate in. The gas was supplied to the state of victoria in australia. Oct 14, 2008 longford explosion anniversary, andrew hopkins and a new book october 2008 was the tenth anniversary of the explosion at longford gas plant in australia that resulted in many injuries, two fatalities and almost two weeks of severely interrupted gas supply to the state of victoria. Next week is the 20th anniversary of the 1998 explosion at the esso operation in longford, victoria.
The longford gas plants comprise three gas plants and a crude stabilisation plant to process crude oil and natural gas from bass strait. This fascinating title is essential reading for company executives and ohs professionals, as well as students of management, policy. The incident happened yesterday afternoon at a house in parkowen near strokestown and the man was taken by ambulance to the hospital for burns treatment. The esso gas plant explosion ramsina lee, in this book has, possibly for the first time, not only described the events of the day but also meticulously documented in narrative form, the impact on the lives of some of those that. Esso longford 1998 gas explosion the current issues and the incidents ongoing from 2008 bear all the hallmarks of another longford disaster like the one that occurred in 1998 when a catastrophic explosion at the plant during the morning of friday 25 september 1998 killed two workers in the accident and injured eight others. It is located at the junction of the south gippsland highway and the longfordrosedale road, next to the latrobe. The second disaster is the explosion at an esso gas plant in longford, victoria, australia, where two operators died and eight are injured hopkins, 2000.
Pages in category gas explosions the following 38 pages are in this category, out of 38 total. Workplace accidents caused by poor shift communications. The starting point, called the primary effect, is the immediate human costs of the accidenttwo fatalities and eight injuries. A man is being treated for burns at st james hospital in dublin after a gas explosion in co. Ian kennedy was the acting day supervisor at longford when a massive explosion occurred on september 25, 1998. The initial explosion killed 2 workers and injured several others, then setting off a series of. Many people reported hearing and feeling what sounded like a loud explosion in the longford. Praise for workers inferno this book is a gripping and emotionladen account of the tragedy that occurred at the esso gas plant at longford, victoria, in september 1998. Assessing longford gas plant 1 staffing arrangements icheme. In 1998 a gas plant at longford, australia, suffered a major release and fire. It illustrates the potentially appalling consequences of the failure to supply operators with the knowledge they need to operate in a high risk environment. Bill shorten reflects on the esso longford disaster. The explosion, which occurred at the moomba natural gas processing plant in central australia, erupted a few minutes after a gas leak was detected at.
Ramsina lee begins by delving into the happy but sometimes complicated family lives of many of the workers involved in the explosion. Longford gas explosion an explosion occurred at one of three gas plants operated by esso at longford. Man treated for burns at st james hospital after gas. The royal commission set up to investigate last years explosion and fire at the longford gas processing facilities in southeastern victoria state has. On 25 september 1998, an explosion took place at the plant, killing two workers and injuring eight. It also operates a crude oil stabilisation plant csp to process oil flowing from other wells in the bass strait. It was named after the town and county of longford in ireland.
Pdf lessons from essos gas plant explosion at longford. Longford gas explosion 20 years on the worker medium. Search streaming video, audio, and text content for academic, public, and k. The longford esso gas explosion, in victoria 2591998. May 01, 2000 lessons from longford examines the findings of the royal commission into the esso gas plant explosion at longford, victoria, in september 1998. Gas supplies to the state of victoria were severely affected for two weeks. The 1998 esso longford gas explosion was a catastrophic industrial accident which occurred at the esso natural gas plant at longford in the australian state of victoria. Workers from essos longford gas plant are still coming to terms with a catastrophic explosion two decades ago that killed two men and left many others both. Andrew hopkins, emeritus professor of sociology, australian national university, author of lessons from longford. It is written by an expert witness at the commission hearings. Esso are further developing the facility with the construction of a new gas conditioning plant. Map of longford, vic 3851 longford is a town in the gippsland region of victoria, australia.
Australia has had two very highprofile accidents since longford. Failure to learn also analyses the similarities between this event and the longford gas plant explosion in victoria in 1998, featured in his earlier book lessons from longford. The state of victoria was left without gas for several weeks at a cost of millions of dollars to the economy. Jan 21, 2004 the explosion, which occurred at the moomba natural gas processing plant in central australia, erupted a few minutes after a gas leak was detected at 2. Comments off on a new look at the longford accident, part 2. Homes were shaken across coventry as a huge bang was reported in the longford area.
The esso gas plant explosion 1864684224 by hopkins, andrew. Gas blast essos fault by rachel hawes headlines the australian tuesday june, 29th, 1999 essos failure to train its workers to cope with emergencies left the multinational responsible for the longford gas plant explosion that killed two of its workers and cut gas supplies to victoria for a fortnight. Tagged design envelope, esso longford gas plant accident, gas plant accident, gas plant explosion, longford accident, longford gas explosion, manual of standards, operational limits, rule, safe shutdown, self protection. This report from the longford royal commission summarizes the findings of the investigation into the esso longford gas explosion. Esso australia convicted of safety breaches in fatal gas explosion by will marshall 12 july 2001 after a bitterly fought legal battle, a supreme court jury in the australian state of victoria has. The gas plants are known as gas plant 1 gp1, gas plant 2 gp2 and gas plant 3 gp3. The resulting vapor cloud can then be ignited, resulting in a severe explosion of highly pressurized gas. The fires caused by the explosion burned for two days. Two men were killed and the states gas supply was severed for two weeks, causing chaos in. Essos longford gas plant, south of sale in gippsland, victoria, provides the majority of the states natural gas for domestic, commercial and industrial use. Workers from essos longford gas plant are still coming to terms with a catastrophic explosion 20 years ago that killed two men and left many others both mentally and physically scarred. Apr 05, 2004 the longford plant supplies more than 90 per cent of victorias gas.
At longford, esso australia operates three gas plants to process gas flowing from wells in the bass strait. Written by leading author professor andrew hopkins, this book is a. Gas plant one was, and is, a producer of natural gas. The esso gas plant explosion by cch australia staff and andrew hopkins 2000, paperback, new edition at the best online prices at ebay.
Esso australia convicted of safety breaches in fatal gas. Employees were working at the esso gas production and processing plant, situated at longford in sale, when a gas plant ruptured and exploded, killing two of the workers and physically. Longford gas plant workers remembered 20 years on from. Professor andrew hopkins, a worldrenowned expert in industrial accident analysis and author of lessons from longford, looks into the organizational, governmental, and societal forces that contributed to the longford disaster.
In 1998, longford was essentially the only supplier of natural gas to the state of victoria. The aftermath of victorias 3week gas supply crisis resulting from the explosion and fire at the longford gas plant continues to dominate australian. The failure to identify this hazard meant that operating instructions made no. The restoration team comprised a task force of engineering companies, which set up headquarters in fluor s melbourne office. Apr 01, 2000 examines the findings of the royal commission into the esso gas plant explosion at longford, victoria in 1998. The esso gas plant explosion prepared by andrew hopkins, july, 2014. Part 1 this project applies the dean ganos apollo root cause analysis rca to the esso longford gas plant accident of 1998. Longford explosion anniversary, andrew hopkins and a new book october 2008 was the tenth anniversary of the explosion at longford gas plant in australia that resulted in many injuries, two fatalities and almost two weeks of severely interrupted gas supply to the state of victoria. Lessons of the longford gas explosion by vannessa hearman melbourne at the end of april, final submissions were presented to the royal commission into the gas explosion and fire at essos longford facility in the latrobe valley. Lessons from essos gas plant explosion at longford andrew hopkins phd australian national university email. Four people were killed and five others were seriously injured when propane vapors from a storage tank ignited and exploded at the little general convenience store and gas station in ghent, west.
The esso longford gas plant is a major hazards facilitiy mhf and, as such, has its own dedicated unit to set licence conditions appropriate to its operational use and storage of dangerous material. The first gas production plant, gas plant 1, was constructed at longford in 1969 and the crude oil stabilisation plant came on line in 1970. An explosion at the plant in 1998 killed two, left homes and businesses without gas for almost two weeks and cost gas users an. Longford explosion anniversary, andrew hopkins and a new book. Longford gas explosion australian disaster resilience. Longford publication version 1 lessons from essos gas plant explosion at longford andrew hopkins phd australian national university email. Although americans use the term gas for what we call petrol, both countries have a common understanding of natural gas. Longford plant operating procedures manual which was distributed in early. Written by an expert witness present at the commission hearings, it clearly and concisely explains who was at fault and why. Lessons from longford the esso gas plant explosion by andrew.
As the market for natural gas increased gas plant 2 was added in 1976 and gas plant 3 went into operation in 1983. Applying the apollo root cause analysis to the esso longford. Hopkins and others published lessons from essos gas plant explosion at longford find, read and cite all the. Explosion threatens gas supplies to two australian states. Written by an expert witness at the commission hearings, it explains why the royal commission decided that the blame lay with esso, not the plant operators. Workers inferno is a book about the 1998 explosion at the esso operation in longford, victoria. The plant is located in the east of victoria, in the southeast corner of australia. Two men were killed in the longford accident, which ripped through the esso plant with devastating consequences. Professor andrew hopkins is being recognized by the european process safety centre in october 2008, in. Tonight, safetyatworkblog will be attending the launch of a new book that includes personal stories about the 1998 esso longford explosion workers inferno the book is being released on the 2oth anniversary of the explosion that killed two workers, injured many others, disrupted gas supplies to the state of victoria, resulted in a thenrecord fine for occupational health and safety. Compliance, enforcement and the like fall under th work health and safety act 2011. Workers inferno the untold story of the esso workers 20. The esso longford gas explosion was a catastrophic industrial accident which occurred at the esso natural gas plant at longford in the australian state of victorias gippsland region. Andrew hopkins lessons from longford examines the findings of the royal commission into the esso gas plant explosion at longford, victoria, in september 1998.
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