Aug. 22, 2012
Three men were seriously injured on Tuesday at a Whiting, Indiana, oil refinery owned by British Petroleum (BP). The Chicago Tribune reports the incident occurred at around 9:45 p.m. as maintenance was being performed on several pieces of equipment.
Reports say that the three men were contract workers who were repairing a worn out hydrotreater as part of upgrades the facility is undergoing. During the repair, a spark ignited gases that had built up in the area and ignited a flash fire.
One worker was rescued and taken to the hospital for treatment of smoke inhalation after complaining that he was having trouble breathing. The other two men were treated for burns sustained from the fire. A spokesman for BP stated all three men are currently hospitalized in stable condition.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics says that there has been a dramatic increase in fatalities in the extraction industry, specifically within oil refineries and wells, over the recent years. The agency claims a 74 percent rise in these extraction deaths from 2009 to 2010. This increase has resulted in the need for some workers to file a workers’ compensation claim.
The Indiana Personal Injury Lawyers with Stewart and Stewart Injury Lawyers understand how frustrating filing a workers’ compensation claim can be, and they are here to help if you’ve been hurt in an on-the-job accident that was not your fault.