Oil Refinery Workplace Safety

When oil refineries do not practice workplace safety, it can result in numerous problems. These problems can force a refinery to trim production or shut down completely. For example, dozens of oil refineries were shut down in 2007 due to fires, leaks, spills and power failures.

Significance

The health of the oil refinery industry is vital to a nation's economy. When oil refineries suffer, they tend to bottleneck energy supplies, and this can cause gasoline and energy prices to rise.

Emergency Preparedness

An important element of workplace safety in oil refineries is emergency preparedness. Many refineries have an on-site fire department, coupled with an emergency response team that is equipped to handle potential disasters. Maintaining a response plan also reduces injuries and potential fatalities.

Considerations

Even with correct workplace safety procedures, oil refinery workers can still suffer unfortunate accidents. Some of the most common injuries are due to toxic chemical exposure or serious burns.

Effects

Working at an oil refinery has the potential to be deadly. For example, oil refinery explosions have a high probability of causing death.

Training

Oil refinery workplace safety also involves extensive training of workers in safety standards. Workers are educated on processes that are designed to prevent potential disasters. Creating a safe work place through regulations and safety procedures can reduce accidents and injuries.

References

• Chevron: Safe Operations
• New York Times: Record Failures at Oil Refineries Raise Gas Prices