Houston and the surrounding cities rank near the top of all states in refining and industrial plant production. The economic value of these sectors propels the Texas economy and provides job opportunities to many Texans. With so much good coming from the plant and refinery industries, it can be easy to look the other way when workplace accidents happen. Unfortunately, plants and refineries can create dangerous work environments and accidents are often disastrous, resulting in catastrophic injury or death.
The Houston refinery accident attorneys at Terry & Thweatt have successfully represented workers injured in many different types of plant accidents:
Plant Explosions
“How could this happen?” is often the first question asked by the family of the injured. With safety training, state and federal regulations, it would seem that Houston industrial plants would have safe work environments. Oftentimes, these regulations are ignored in favor of time and money-saving shortcuts. Plant explosions happen for a variety of reasons:
- Lack of Equipment Maintenance. When large, complicated equipment is ignored and unmaintained, the result can be injury or death to those operating and working around it.
- Improper Training. All employees are required to partake in safety and compliance training. When crews are overworked, new team members are thrown into the fray without completed training certifications.
- Missing Signage. Safety and warning signs are an easy way to alert workers of potential dangers. Like equipment, signs must be cared for. Weather and time can age a sign, causing it to be obscured.
- Plant Malfunctions. Ignoring minor malfunctions can compound a problem and lead to disaster. Small problems like missing or failed sensors may seem insignificant, but many disasters have been traced back to a mixture of small, but important problems.
Types of Plant Explosion Injuries
Plant accidents are often serious and result in serious injury or death. Long-term rehabilitation is common, and the cost of medical care can skyrocket. Refinery workers who are injured will often miss work for weeks or months, reducing take-home pay to their families. Common injuries include:
- Orthopedic injuries like broken arms, legs and ribs
- Head trauma and brain damage
- Severe burns
- Injury to the respiratory system
- Back and neck pain
- Vision impairment
- Wrongful Death
Refinery Explosions
Modern engineering has made today’s refining systems safer, but the threat for Texas refinery explosion remains high. When safety rules and equipment standards fall behind, refinery workers lives are put at risk. Refineries are necessary to the oil and gas business, but only safely maintained refineries with well-trained crews can help reduce the number of refinery injuries.
If you or a loved one has been injured by the maze of pipes and equipment at a Texas plant, contact the Houston refinery accident attorneys at Terry & Thweatt. Houston is our home, and we fight to protect citizens from the negligence of owner-operators and bad work crews. Employees that break safety rules and cause you harm should be held accountable for your medical bills, pain and suffering, and lost wages. Consultations with Terry & Thweatt are free, and we work on a contingency basis.
