Case of Exploding Gasses

RGH Investigations does a lot of accident investigations, from car accidents to work injury investigations. These are oftentimes cases regarding serious injury or even death. We are committed to helping those who are in cases involving accident investigations, since they are so complex and can be emotionally jarring. RGH Investigators maintain a professional approach to our investigations, careful to respect all parties involved. This week’s case involves a work injury, where a worker sadly got caught up in a fatal situation at an oil refinery.

A Dangerous Job

Working in an oil refinery is a dangerous job. According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety, a study on workers in an oil refinery conducted in 2014 to 2019 showed that out of 470 worker fatalities, 14.5% of them were due to unmonitored explosions. Other fatal events include exposure to gasses that cause cardiac arrest, and vehicle incidents. Our case today is about an oil refinery worker who got into a fatal accident at work. The employee was working down below, installing concrete sidewalks inside the facility. He was using a bobcat machine. The bobcat got stuck on a piece of old metal, so he exited the vehicle to inspect the incident. The employee turned around upon hearing a hissing sound behind him. He noticed a silo of petroleum was making the concerning sound. Before he had time to inspect, the silo exploded. Due to the force of the explosion, the lid came off and landed on top of him. A nearby coworker, who repeated the chain of events, was luckily only scraped on the arm.

A Stroke of Bad Luck: How? And why?

RGH Investigations was hired on behalf of the family of the employee suing the oil refinery. To begin our investigations, RGH Investigators interviewed the nearby coworker who experienced the explosion which also resulted in a work injury. The survivor was traumatized by the situation, so we approached the coworker with subtlety and professionalism, careful to not break boundaries. We received a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), and got to work. The Freedom of Information Act allows us to progress legally with the case. We took photographs and interviewed other coworkers. It was concluded that there should have been safeguards. Usually, a silo of petroleum has a valve that allows the worker to adjust the release of gasses that build up inside.

We researched and uncovered that it was a hot day outside when the silo burst open. When petroleum is exposed to hot temperatures, gasses are automatically released. When the pressure isn’t adjusted accordingly, the gasses in the silo continue to increase until it is forced to release the gasses on its own accord, meaning, burst open. This is exactly what happened during the fatal work injury. Ultimately, the gasses should not have been built up to such a high level, and the oil refinery experts should have been observing the pressure within the tanks. This mistake had serious consequences.

Need Help with A Work Injury Case?

Are you or someone you know dealing with a work injury or accident investigation? It doesn’t have to have such a serious outcome. RGH Investigations work with all levels of accident investigations and work injury. We have effective methods to help further your case and determine what happened to cause the accident. If you are interested in a private investigator to assist your work injury investigation, contact us at 312-981-8770.