Antiquated Refinery Equipment Can Cause Devastating Injuries
Refineries provide numerous well-paying jobs, but they’re also some of America’s most dangerous workplaces. One of the biggest contributing factors to refinery risks is the frequent use of aging equipment. Refinery owners, always mindful of the bottom line, may not replace outdated equipment in a timely fashion. These pieces of vital machinery can lead to accidents, causing serious worker injuries.
Antiquated Equipment
Despite advances in safety technology, defective equipment remains a leading factor in refinery accidents. Most Texas refineries haven’t been renovated in decades. While installing new equipment would improve safety, it also requires halting production, thereby reducing profits. Instead, many refineries opt to continue using antiquated machinery that’s prone to malfunctions.
Some of the most common factors leading to the failure of this equipment include:
- Design defects
- Manufacturing defects
- Corrosion
- Lack of maintenance
- Metal fatigue
- Overstress
- Welding defects
Refinery Worker Injuries
Refineries have numerous pieces of vital machinery that must be maintained, including boilers, treatment tanks, pumps, pipelines, and storage tanks. As this equipment continues to age, refinery production strains the machinery to its limits. Improperly maintained or malfunctioning refinery equipment can lead to severe worker injuries, including:
- Thermal and electrical burns
- Broken limbs
- Spinal cord damage
- Back and neck injuries
- Impaired vision
- Amputations
- Head and brain trauma
- Death
Refinery Accident Compensation
If you’ve suffered injuries in a refinery accident, you deserve compensation. You may receive payments for your medical and therapy bills, income to replace lost current and future wages, and disability payments.
If you’ve lost a beloved family member due to a catastrophic refinery accident, you may be entitled to receive damages. These can include compensation for lost earning capacity, loss of inheritance, mental anguish, and loss of care and companionship. If management is guilty of gross negligence, the family of the deceased may recover punitive damages to punish the defendants for their willful and wanton behavior. To learn more, contact the law offices of Steve M. Lee, P.C., by using the form on this page.