Refinery Accident Lawyers in Dallas
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Those who work at oil refineries or other similar industrial plants will tell you that it is one of the most dangerous jobs in the entire nation. The refinery industry is strictly regulated by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and other federal regulating agencies such as the Environmental Protection Agency in order to promote safety, health and the wellbeing of the surrounding environment. Oil refineries are a necessary part of domestic oil and gas production. Crude oil is transported into these factories to be refined into a variety of different petrochemical products such as gasoline, diesel fuel and kerosene. Refineries are typically located in close proximity to the shoreline, since many pipelines are running from offshore rigs into the refinery.
According to Independent statistics and analysis from the U.S. Energy Information Administration, eight of the top 17 largest oil refineries in the United States are located in the State of Texas. The largest is run by Exxon Mobil Corporation and it is located in Baytown, Texas. It puts out an estimated 560,000 barrels on a daily basis. Coming in at the fifth largest refinery in Texas is BP Products North America Inc. located in Texas City, Texas which puts out an estimated 400,780 barrels per day. Other Texas refineries include Exxon in Beaumont, Deer Park Refining, Valero Energy Corporation, Motiva Enterprises, Koch Industries and Access Industries in Houston, Texas.
How Crude Oil is Refined
There is a basic three-step process to any oil refinery plant: separation, conversion and treatment. Before crude oil even reaches an oil refinery, it must be pumped from on offshore or onshore drilling site. If the oil is taken from an offshore site, it will likely have come from an offshore rig, a semi-submersible rig or a deepwater rig. If the crude came from an onshore site, it likely came from a hydraulic fracturing site located not far from the refinery site. Typically, the crude is transported from the drilling site to the refinery by way of a pipeline. An oil refinery is much similar to any other type of production plant, except refineries deal strictly with petrochemical products.
Refineries run at all times, with the exception of shutting a refinery down temporarily to conduct safety checks and mechanical operations. Sometimes, refineries must be shut down for an indefinite amount of time in the event of a fire, explosion or other serious accident. During this time, agencies like OSHA will investigate in order to determine if the refinery was in violation of any federal health or safety codes. If they were, the refinery will likely face fines and penalties. Sometimes, the refineries will even face criminal penalties for gross or willful negligence. When employers do not take care to properly investigate the premises to secure a safe environment for their employees, the employees suffer.
Are you an injured refinery worker?
If you were injured while working at a refinery, then you may be entitled to compensation. You may have developed an illness in conjunction with your work at this refinery. For example, occupational diseases such as lung cancer are not uncommon for workers who are exposed to petrochemical products without the proper protections for extended periods of time. Workers can also suffer physical harm such as serious burn injuries as a result of mechanical failures and other accidents that can happen at petroleum refineries. If you are a refinery worker and were injured in an accident, you may be able to seek compensation from your employer for the injuries that you sustained. The best way to find out whether or not you have a qualifying case is to contact an attorney Zinda Law Group is ready to take calls for workers like you who may have a case against your employer. Don’t wait. Call today and speak with a Dallas Personal Injury Attorney!
