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The US Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) fined a Citgo Refining and Chemicals Co. LP facility in Corpus Christi, Texas. OSHA officials inspected the facility—a subsidiary of CITGO Petroleum Corp.—following complaints that workers had been exposed to harmful chemicals after a leak.
OSHA cited the facility for four serious violations after it was determined that employees had been exposed to hydrofluoric acid. Proposed fines total $66,500.
“This employer did not have proper safeguards in place to protect employees from the release of toxic chemicals,” said Michael Rivera, regional OSHA director. “By not following OSHA’s standard for process safety management, employees at the facility and the surrounding community were placed in danger.”
All facilities containing hazardous materials must always be prepared for spills and leaks. There is no excuse to not have proper equipment and procedures in place, and Citgo is fortunate nobody was seriously injured or killed.
Please visit our website for more information on workers comp. Take advantage of our free consultation if you have been injured and need assistance in the filing process.
Larrimer & Larrimer, LLC—Columbus workers comp attorneys.