Catastrophic – and often preventable — explosions continued to injure and tragically kill workers and contractors at industrial plants and refineries throughout the United State during the first 5 months of 2018.
But somehow, this grim reality hasn’t slowed the Trump Administration’s campaign to weaken – and, in many cases, eliminate – vital safety regulations enacted to protect the lives of the workers and contractors who depend on their jobs at the 147 plants and refineries across the country to support themselves and their families.
Louisiana Worker Dies in Equipment Explosion at Proctor & Gamble Tide Plant
Most recently, a 56-year-old worker was killed at the Proctor & Gamble Tide detergent plant in Pineville, Louisiana, when a piece of equipment he was operating exploded.
Unconfirmed reports indicate that the May 24th tragedy involved a forklift.
Texas: 4 Plant and 1 Pipeline Explosion Between February and May Alone
No state has been as hard hit as Texas.
Since February, the state’s experienced at least one plant, refinery or pipeline explosion per month, resulting in at least 3 deaths (including a 12-year-old girl) and over 75 injuries.
21 Injured in Kuraray America Chemical Plant Explosion in Pasadena, Texas
An explosion at the Kuraray America chemical plant in Pasadena sent over 25 workers to the hospital on May 19th, including 2 who had to be airlifted with severe burns.
While the investigation into the Kuraray America plant explosion is only in its preliminary stages, it appears that the plant’s operator introduced product (hydrocarbons) into the lines during a turnaround without any notice to workers and contractors who were performing hot work nearby. The pipe over-pressurized, releasing highly flammable ethylene gas, which quickly ignited and set off a massive explosion.
Our Plant Explosion Lawyers are currently representing over 14 workers who were injured in the explosion.
Contractor Injured When Asphalt Tank Explodes at U.S. Polyco Plant in Ennis, Texas
A contractor suffered severe injuries to his legs on April 23, when an asphalt tank exploded at the U.S. Polyco plant in Ennis.
The 30-year-old man was using a blow torch on top of an empty asphalt tank just prior to the blast. Investigators believe that an adjacent tank exploded when sparks from the torch made contact with flammable vapors.
The force of the explosion caused the contractor to fall 30-feet into a burning tank.
4 Contractors Injured in Connection with Valero Refinery Explosion in Texas City
On April 19, an explosion set off a massive fire at Valero’s Texas City Refinery.
While initial reports indicated that no one was hurt in the incident, it was later revealed that 4 contractors were injured in the blast.
1 Worker Killed and 2 Burned in Explosion at Tri-Chem Industries Chemical Plant in Cresson, Texas
A 27-year-old man was killed on March 15th in connection with an explosion at the Tri-Chem Industries chemical plant in Cresson. Because of dangerous conditions created by the explosion, rescue crews were unable to recover his body until one-week later.
In addition to the fatality, two workers were severely burned.
While the explosion is still under investigation, early reports point to static electricity as a potential ignition source.
12-Year Old Girl Killed in Atmos Energy Natural Gas Pipeline Explosion in Dallas, Texas
A 12-year-old Dallas girl was tragically killed in February, when a natural gas pipeline operated by Atmos Energy exploded and destroyed her family’s home.
The blast also seriously injured two of her family members who were in the home with her at the time of the explosion.
The explosion was the latest in a series of Atmos explosions that had been plaguing the Dallas neighborhood for weeks.
Michigan, Utah and Wisconsin
2 Injured in Explosion at Michigan Auto Parts Plant
Two workers were injured on May 3rd, when an explosion set off a magnesium fire that destroyed much of the Meridian Magnesium plant in Eaton Rapids, Michigan.
While officials have not yet determined what caused the explosion, it appears to have originated in the “tunnel,” an area where magnesium scraps are placed on a conveyor belt to be melted down.
It’s not yet known when the facility, which manufacturers instrument panels for BMW, Ford Motor Co., General Motors and Mercedes-Benz, will reopen.
Wisconsin Husky Energy Explosion Injures 20
An explosion at the Husky Energy oil refinery in Superior, Wisconsin injured 20 workers on April 26, including many contractors prepping the facility for a 5-week shutdown.
11 of the injured were transferred to area hospitals, while the remaining were treated on scene.
Worker Dies from Severe Burns Following Utah Autoliv Explosion
A worker who suffered severe burns in an explosion at the Autoliv Facilities manufacturing plant in Promontory, Utah, tragically died of his injuries shortly after arriving at a local hospital.
The March 26th explosion occurred in one of the plant’s laboratories. The deceased worker had been in the building’s mixing area at the time and was trapped inside.
Two other workers were hurt, but their injuries were not life-threatening.
Trumps Administration Targets Safety Rules Designed to Protect Industrial Workers and Contractors
Since taking office in January 2017, the Trump Administration has waged war on regulations, many of which were put in place to protect industrial workers who depend on their jobs at the nation’s 147 plants and refineries to support themselves and their families.
For example, during the President’s first year in office, the U.S. Department of Transportation sidelined more than a dozen regulations designed to protect workers, prevent fatal bus and truck accidents, and prevent catastrophic pipeline explosions.
Offshore drilling regulations put in place after the deadly 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil rig explosion have also been targeted by the Administration.
Most recently, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under the notoriously industry-friendly Scott Pruitt delayed and then took steps to rescind or weaken vital parts of the Chemical Disaster Rule, a set of regulations inspired by a 2013 fertilizer explosion that decimated the town of West, Texas and killed more than a dozen people.
Advocates for workers have admonished Pruitt’s actions, with the United Steel Workers claiming that Pruitt’s “doing the bidding of powerful industry lobbyists.”
“USW members work in dangerous facilities that house huge quantities of hazardous chemicals. We are strongly opposed to this deregulation that endangers workers and their communities,” the union said in a statement issued shortly after the EPA announced the attack on the Chemical Disaster Rule. “Our union intends to fully participate in the rulemaking process and advocate against these unjustified rollbacks.”
Trump’s Regulatory Assault Could Lead to Even More Plant & Refinery Explosions Across the Country
Our Undefeated Plant Explosion Lawyers have successfully represented nearly 1,000 workers in Texas, Louisiana, and throughout the United States in connection with every major plant, pipeline, and refinery explosion in recent history.
Every single industrial accident or explosion that our Plant Explosion Lawyers have been involved with could have been avoided by simple and inexpensive safety measures that would have prevented hundreds of workers from being seriously injured or tragically killed.
Some of most common safety violations are listed below:
- Violating federal safety regulations and industry-wide Process Safety Management Standards (PSMs)
- Failing to perform Managements of Change (MOCs), Pre-Startup Safety Reviews (PSSRs), Process Hazards Analysis (PHAs), Job Safety Analysis (JSAs) and other process safety tools
- Failing to protect against overpressurization with pressure relief devices or other active safeguards
- Failing to perform lockout/tagout and other procedures designed to prevent the unintended release or ignition or hazardous hydrocarbons and chemicals
- Failing to inspect and/or perform scheduled maintenance on outdated or improperly configured tools and equipment
- Failing to follow the “hierarchy of controls” by identifying, eliminating or controlling against known or potential hazards
- Relying on “administrative controls” (like car seals) instead of using “active safeguards,” like pressure relief devices
Unfortunately, the situation is only likely to get worse — causing plant and refinery explosions to occur even more frequently — as the Trump Administration continues to target the regulatory framework intended to prevent and eliminate the preventable hazards faced by the millions of men and women who work at oil and gas and petrochemical facilities across the country.
Were You or a Loved One Injured in a Plant, Refinery, or Pipeline Explosion? Contact Our Undefeated Plant Explosion Lawyers by Calling 1-888-603-3636 or Click here.
In addition to being Undefeated, our Plant Explosion Lawyers have won over $1 Billion for our clients, including the largest settlements and verdicts in history for thousands of workers across Texas, Louisiana and the United States who were injured or tragically killed in connection with catastrophic industrial accidents and explosions.
If you or loved one were injured or tragically killed in an industrial accident or explosion, call 1-888-603-3636 or click here to send us an email through our “Contact Us” form.
All consultations are free, and because we only work for a contingency fee, you won’t pay us anything unless we win your case.