Oil refinery injuries can be catastrophic

Perhaps you know people who are thrill seekers. They ride fast motorcycles, hang glide and participate in extreme sports. They love the risk, and they accept that their hobbies may result in injuries. Even those injuries may not stop them from returning to their dangerous activities.

If you work in an oil refinery, you know that every day at work presents the same risk of injury. You don’t need studies to tell you how dangerous your work is or how likely it is that you will suffer a catastrophic or fatal injury on the job. In fact, if you witness safety violations or your employer is apathetic about protecting workers from harm, your risk of injury may be even greater.

Expect the best, prepare for the worst

The nature of the job is dangerous. You work with highly combustible materials and heavy, moving machinery. The environment is often loud, making it difficult to hear when someone calls out a warning. Your duties may require you to climb to high platforms or into deep, enclosed spaces. The labor may be physically and mentally exhausting.

Any of these and other factors place you in harm’s way even when your employer establishes the highest standards of safety on the job. While you may prefer not to think about the potential for injury, it is wise to understand the injuries most common in oil refinery work, including:

• Burns: Fires and explosions can leave you with severe burns that may require long, painful treatment.
• Chemical burns: These injuries can cause long-term damage, including internal injuries if you inhale the chemicals.
• Spinal cord injuries: Falls from high places may result in spinal injuries, but the impact of an explosion may also cause severe injuries that may result in partial or total paralysis.
• Brain injuries: Even mild trauma to your head from a fall, an explosion or falling debris may cause life-long struggles, including pain, seizures, and changes in your ability to think and communicate.

If you or your loved one has suffered a catastrophic injury in an oil refinery accident, or you lost a loved one in a fatal workplace accident, you may have many concerns about your future. You may also have many questions about the conditions that may have contributed to the accident and whether your injuries qualify for recompense beyond workers’ compensation. For help in finding the answers to your questions, you can reach out to a Texas attorney who is devoted to assisting families who struggle after oil refinery accidents.