OSHA Chalks Up 30 Safety Violations for East Texas Refinery After Deadly Explosion
Following a fire and explosion that claimed the lives of two employees, and injured three more, OSHA has cited Delek Refining Ltd, in Tyler Texas, with 30 safety violations.
"OHSA's Process Safety Management standard contains specific requirements that are essential to the safety and health of workers in the petroleum refining industry, and it is crucial that employers follow these safety and health requirements. If Delek had followed OHSA's standards, it is possible this tragic accident could have been avoided."--Stephen Boyd, OHSA's Area Director in Dallas.
The explosion was caused by the ignition of flammable vapors after a naphtha discharge line ruptured in the saturated gas unit at the refinery.
OSHA found one willful safety violation due to failure to "maintain and repair" processing equipment. (Willful violations are violations committed with "intentional disregard of" or "indifference to" the standards set by the Occupational Safety and Health Act.)
The other serious citations were due to violations of OSHA Process Safety Management rules. The more interesting citations involved asbestos, benzene, electrical, and fire extinguisher standards. (Serious violations are reserved for scenarios where death or serious injury could result from a hazard that should have already been addressed by the employer.)
Penalties are expected to total 217,350. A number with fewer figures than I'd like to see, considering the loss of life involved.
