Common Causes of Industrial Explosions

Industrial explosions occur for many reasons. Unfortunately, many causes are due to human negligence. Therefore, employees hurt in these kinds of accidents will definitely need the assistance of a Houston refinery explosion lawyer because this type of attorney has the distinct expertise that a case like this requires. Improper Maintenance One common cause of a chemical plant explosion is improper maintenance. An industrial plant is one place that cannot allow its equipment to malfunction because devastating fires and explosions can occur. That is why proper maintenance is imperative at an industrial plant, but some employers fail to follow the appropriate maintenance procedures. The result is that storage tanks, alarms, boilers and pressure valves sometimes malfunction. Unseen Corrosion Metal is a common substance in industrial plants and refineries, but this element is susceptible to corrosion. It may even cause the surrounding parts to fall victim to deterioration as well. When this is the case, the equipment begins to break down. The Use of Dirty/Impure Chemicals It is necessary to mix chemicals at industrial plants and refineries. If this is not done correctly, disasters can happen. So, employees must follow strict guidelines to ensure that only compatible chemicals are mixed and that the products used for this purpose are pure. Anything to the contrary can cause drastic chemical reactions to occur. Failure to Follow Safety Regulations The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) wrote strict regulations to ensure that the workplace is safe for all workers. When people violated OSHA’s rules in the past, serious industrial accidents occurred. Common Causes of Fires In some cases, a fire at a chemical plant is caused by a natural disaster, such as lighting or an earthquake. They can also result when someone decides to smoke a cigarette in a dangerous location. One of the most egregious reasons for an accident is when employers fail to thoroughly train their employees on safety, maintenance procedures and proper use of the plant’s equipment. After a fire starts because of the above-listed causes, it can become uncontrollable very quickly. The Industrial Explosion Lawyer’s Job Typically, OSHA will perform an inspection of a chemical plant in order to determine the cause of the explosion or fire. The plant’s owners will do the same, but this is not satisfactory to the best industrial explosion lawyer because the story that the plant’s owners tell is often different from the truth. Because the plant owners’ report may not be trustworthy, an industrial explosion lawyer does his or her own investigation at the industrial plant to determine who was at fault. This often requires that an investigative team visit the industrial plant in person. The team will consist of lawyers as well as engineers who examine the equipment and determine if it is working correctly. They also learn about the plant’s operating procedures. Once the negligent party is identified, a refinery explosion attorney can file a claim for monetary compensation for worker injuries. Explosions in Middletown and Texas City Americans are becoming very familiar with what can happen when people fail to take proper care of plant equipment. In 2010, the Kleen Energy Systems plant exploded in Middletown, Connecticut. During the investigation, OSHA learned that this company was in violation of nearly 400 safety regulations. What’s worse is that agents accused the company’s employees of deliberately disregarding safety procedures. The result was that five people lost their lives and more than 50 suffered serious injuries. In 2005, 15 people died and more than 170 suffered serious injuries in a Texas City chemical plant explosion. Authorities found that several things went wrong that day and that it was due to the negligence of the plant’s owners.