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Archived News Release--Caution:
information may be out of date.
For more information call: (202) 219-8151
Lyondell-Citgo Refining Co. has agreed to pay the
Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) $200,000 in penalties for
citations from OSHA's investigation of an incident involving gases from burning
oil at its Houston, Texas, refinery that affected 100 workers.
The incident occurred Nov. 21, 1995. Disulfide oil, a
chemical used to clean sulfur at the petroleum products refinery, passed
through a flare and ignited. The gases from the burning oil affected 100
contract workers who experienced respiratory system irritation and required
medical attention.
Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and
Health Joseph A. Dear said, "The employer not only agreed to pay the proposed
penalties in full, but will take all the steps necessary to try to prevent any
repetition of such an incident at the refinery." Dear added that the settlement
also avoids the cost and burden of prolonged litigation, while furthering the
interests of everyone in making the workplace safe as soon as possible.
OSHA issued citations for three unclassified violations
and one serious violation of its standard for process safety management of
highly hazardous chemicals. The citations involved errors and omissions in
written operating procedures for three of the 26 units in the refinery.
The company, OSHA, and Oil, Chemical and Atomic Workers
(OCAW) Local 4-227, AFL-CIO, representing workers at the refinery, have agreed
that the operating procedures should be rewritten not only for those three
units, but plantwide. All 1,300 employees at the refinery will have new
operating procedures in full compliance with the standard by December 1997
rather than December 1998 -- the company's original date for compliance.
Lyondell-Citgo will submit reports on its progress to OSHA
every 30 days, and will meet quarterly with representatives of OSHA and the
union to review the progress.
Archived News Release--Caution:
information may be out of date.
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