Valero’s Corpus East and West Refinery
Valero’s Corpus Christi refinery is often called the Bill Greehey refinery. Greehey was formerly the CEO of Valero Energy. Greehey is also remembered for being a philanthropist as well as a corporate leader. Given that the Greehey refinery is large in size, there is a great risk that parts of property fail to follow adequate safety rules and compliance to ensure that the property is safely maintained. When accidents do occur on the Valero property, there are a number of ways in which accidents can occur.
Brief History of the Valero Corpus Christi Refinery
The refinery is actually two complexes in Corpus Christi, Texas consisting of two plants. Valero first commissioned the section of the West Corpus Christi refinery plant in 1983. Many individuals who are particularly familiar with refinery centers view the the Valero refinery as one of the most complex refineries in the United States. The west plant also offers 4,700 feet of ship channel frontage, which allows for easy loading and unloading onto ships. In 2001, Valero acquired a 115,000 barrel capacity refinery which is now referred to as the east plant of the refinery. The east plant is located less than a mile from the west plant of the Bill Greehey refinery. Currently, the refinery is capable of producing a maximum capacity of 325,000 crude oil barrels per day and employs approximately 760 employees.
Fires & Explosions
In November 2018, an accident occurred at Valero’s Corpus Christi refinery which resulted in a substantial fire which fortunately did not harm any of the refinery workers. Sometimes, significant plant explosions or catastrophic events start out as small fires or even small flames. Due to refineries often handling a large amount of flammable material, even a small flames like the one in this accident could have led to a larger, more significant, accident. In many situations, refinery owners are liable for fires and explosions due to a variety of negligent acts including lack of maintenance, inadequate equipment, lack of proper training for workers, or improperly posted signs.
Employee Falls
In January of 2016, a Valero refinery employee fell into a puddle and was burned by a set of steam pipes. The burn was bad enough to be classified as second degree burns. The employee was subsequently taken to a nearby medical facility for treatment. Fortunately, the burns were non-life threatening in nature and the man eventually recovered from these injuries. Faulty steam pipes are just one of the most common ways that employees can get burnt, some of the other common causes of burns include unmarked vents for steam and malfunctioning machinery.
Contact A Corpus Christi Refinery Accident Attorney
If you are injured in an accident that occurs at any Corpus Christi refinery, it is vital to retain the services of an experienced attorney who knows how to create a strong legal claim in order for a refinery accident victim to receive compensation from a liable party including a refinery owner.
