Vopak Deer Park: A Safety-First Culture

Gary Jackson, SHEQ director at Vopak North America, speaks to Kate Rainford about Deer Park Terminal’s safety practices With a capacity of 1,282,512 m³, across 253 tanks, ranging in size from 80,000 barrels to 15,000, Deer Park is the largest of Vopak’s sites in the US and Canada. The terminal stores a range of products, including biofuels, chemicals, petroleum products, base oils and lubricants. Located in Houston, Texas, USA, the terminal offers a variety of services including nitrogen blanketing, ship purging and blanketing, 24-hour tank car switching, blending, circulation and marine lightering capabilities. The expansive scale of this facility calls for robust safety protocols, ensuring a secure, well-protected and safe environment for all. [caption id="attachment_61693" align="alignright" width="800"] Vopak Deer Park (2023)[/caption] ‘Our terminal involves and implements many programmes that are designed to protect all employees from incidents and potential process safety accidents as well,’ notes Gary Jackson, safety, health, environment and quality director of the USA and Canada business unit at Vopak North America. ‘It all starts with comprehensive training...