Fatal accident leads to Texas oil refinery facing 30 OSHA citations
An east Texas oil refinery has been charged with 30 safety violations after an inspection by the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). The refinery is Delek Refining Ltd., which is located in Tyler, Texas. The inspection was prompted by the death of two refinery workers and injuries to three others.
The fatal accident occurred after a Naptha discharge line ruptured at the saturated-gas unit. Flammable vapors were ignited, causing the fire that killed two and injured three.
The inspection led to OSHA finding that a willful violation was responsible for the deadly accident. The violation was failing to adequately maintain and repair the refinery’s processing equipment. According to OSHA standards, a willful violation is committed with either indifference to or intentional disregard of OSHA requirements.
Other violations for which the refinery were cited include those involving asbestos, benzene, electrical and fire extinguisher standards. These citations are an indication that OSHA believes the problems could lead to serious injury or death, and are violations which the employer either knew about or should have known about.
The refinery potentially faces penalties totaling $217,350.
OSHA is a government agency charged with the mission of preventing work-related injuries, illnesses and deaths. If an OSHA violation leads to the death or injury of you or a loved one, you may have a legal claim.
To find out more about personal injury, work accidents and wrongful death claims, contact Fears | Nachawati for a free consultation. Contact us by email at info@fnlawfirm.com or by phone at 1.866.705.7584.
