Plant Accidents & Injuries

A very significant refinery incident occurred in Texas when the BP refinery explosion killed 15 people while injuring 180 others. Despite the presence of a team of professional engineers on-site during one of the plant’s normal transitions, something went wrong, and the resulting disaster will never be forgotten. There was also a time when a series of refinery tanks exploded in Midland, Texas, in a chain reaction that took out at least six tanks. Thankfully, while the physical damage was great, injuries were limited in that case.

More recently in the past few years, flames engulfed a petrochemical plant in Deer Park, TX that brought so much black smoke to the Houston area it looked like storm clouds had covered the entire city.

People working in tall office buildings were able to see heavy smoke and flames at the petrochemical site. Deer Park is dotted with chemical refineries and plants and is no stranger to explosions. There have been several over the years, many of them deadly. Injuries occurring at refineries like these are serious and if you’ve been injured on the job at a site like this, you should strongly consider legal representation.

According to Popular Mechanics, many refinery explosions occur during or after spring maintenance. Most refineries shut down for part of the year, and that is when maintenance is performed. When the plant is ready to transition to refining gasoline for the coming season, all of the equipment is turned back on. If an extensive checklist of nearly 30,000 procedures is not followed exactly, then there could be an explosion. The transition period is also the time when all workers are called back to the plant, and that is why the number of dead and injured can sometimes be so high.

The key to good refinery safety is to make sure that those checklists are followed to the letter. Another way to help prevent refinery explosions is to keep a close eye on routine maintenance throughout the plant. One missed maintenance assignment could mean that a problem goes unsolved and an explosion is the result.

If you have been the victim of a refinery accident, then contact an experienced lawyer immediately. Even if you think you do not have a lawsuit-worthy case, you can get information on what you should do next from a law firm that has experience in dealing with the aftermath of these types of accidents.

Jim Adler is the Tough, Smart Lawyer® and can be by your side if you ever find yourself involved in a refinery accident. Jim Adler has many years of experience as a competent work injury lawyer who can preserve your rights and fight for the compensation you deserve.