Federal OSHA recorded a severe workplace injury
at Valero, 2235 Jacob Dr., CHALMETTE, LOUISIANA 70043
on — Heat (thermal) burns, unspecified, affecting the face, unspecified.
Final narrative
Employees were troubleshooting a PSV that was lifting prematurely. A release of hydrocarbon/hydrogen caused an explosion and fire. One employee suffered burns to the face. A second employee struck a rail during egress as a result of the pressure wave and suffered a fractured kneecap. Both employees were hospitalized.
An employee was cleaning leaking plastic from an injection nozzle. As the employee was lifting and dislodging plastic, the nozzle shifted and burst apart. The nozzle struck the employee's mouth and jaw and burned the employee. They also sustained a jaw fracture.
An employee was fueling a tractor with diesel when there was an explosion and a fire started. The employee sustained third-degree burns to 32% of his body, chest, and arms.
An employee was torching materials to free a jam in a baler machine when an explosion occurred, resulting in second-degree burns to their left arm and leg that required hospitalization.
An employee was welding an oil pipe and installing a gauge on the pipe of a drilling rig. As he cut into it with a torch, an explosion occurred. The shockwave of the explosion caused the employee to sustain a concussion and multiple broken bones.
More severe injuries in this industry (NAICS 324110)
An employee was ascending an 8-foot aluminum extension ladder to access and replace a hypochlorite pump located on top of a 7-foot chemical tank. When he reached approximately 5 feet on the ladder, the ladder shifted and twisted to the right. The employee fell from the ladder and landed on his right side. The employee sustained a compound fracture to his right leg just above the ankle, dislocation of his shoulder, and a torn rotator cuff. The employee was hospitalized.
An employee was taking a butane gas sample as part of the hydrocarbon refining process. A component disconnected and the butane ignited, resulting in first- and second-degree burns to the employee's forearms and to their face, including their cheeks, chin, and neck.
An employee was driving a carry deck/small crane when its boom made contact with an overhead support beam. The employee was jostled in the cab and suffered a concussion.
An employee was inventorying hammer mill screens when the screens fell on the employee. The employee sustained a laceration to their leg requiring hospitalization.
An ironworker was maneuvering a mobile elevated work platform (MEWP) into position to install a structural beam. The employee was pinned between another structural steel beam that was already installed and the MEWP control box cover. The employee was hospitalized with a laceration to their lip, dislodged teeth, and a fractured jaw.
A driver was exiting his vehicle outside the plant gate when his foot slipped on the top step of the truck. He fell to the ground, landed on his left hip and elbow. The employee was hospitalized with a fractured hip/femur.
A security employee was responding to an urgent call from staff regarding a violent patient. The employee tripped and fell on the floor outside of the stairwell. The employee sustained a closed head injury, contusion of the cerebrum without loss of consciousness, and a closed fracture of the distal end of the right radius.
A temporary employee was testing an electrical starter motor. He was placing tape on the starter while the breaker was not engaged, but the starter sent an arc flash that burned his hands and stomach.
An employee was walking on a sidewalk and stubbed his toe on an elevated portion of concrete, causing him to trip and fall. The employee's right knee was dislocated.