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Information from The Institute of Petroleum shows that there are 12 oil refineries in the UK. Even if correctly maintained, an oil refinery can be an extremely dangerous place to work. Negligent actions on the part of an employer can greatly increase the risk of a worker experiencing a severe or perhaps even fatal industrial accident.
Oil refineries use a combination of two different processes in order to separate all the different parts of crude oil so that they can be used individually for fuel, or in the making of clothes, plastic bags, soap and many other products on the UK market. The two procedures used in refineries are called fractional distillation and chemical processing and both involve the use of very high temperatures and flammable substances, which could lead to work injury.
Fractional distillation
In order to separate the different components found in crude oil it is heated, usually with high pressure steam, to temperatures of around 600 degrees celsius. Many of the different parts of crude oil will reach their boiling point at much lower temperatures, but in order to make all constituents boil and vapourise, this higher temperature must be used.
The vapourised crude oil then rises up a long column. Substances in the crude oil which boil at lower temperatures will rise higher up than ones which boil at higher temperatures. There are tubes connected to the column's sides and each vaporised part of the crude oil will condense at different heights, entering different tubes for collection.
Chemical processing
After the crude oil has gone through the fractional distillation process, not all of the parts are ready to sell immediately. To make some of the separated components of crude oil ready for use they must undergo chemical processing to refine them further. One of three methods is used, and these methods are called "cracking", "unification" or "alteration". Some of these need temperatures of more than 500 degrees celsius to work. After chemical processing the substances are fully refined and can be sold on.
Dangers of working in an oil refinery
Individuals who work with crude oil may find themselves working around volatile chemicals and processes involving dangerously high temperatures and pressures. Not only is crude oil itself a substance known to cause adverse health problems, workers at refineries are at risk of suffering burns, becoming exposed to toxic chemicals and sometimes may even experience explosions.
Want to make an industrial accident compensation claim?
If you have suffered a personal injury while working at an oil refinery, and the incident was not your fault, you may be eligible to make a claim for 100% compensation from the company or individual liable for your pain, suffering and loss of earnings.
If you want to claim after experiencing the death of a family member through the negligence of the refinery company which employed them, then we may be able to help you with your case also.
To find out if you may be able to claim, fill out our short online claim form, chat on live help or just give us a ring on 0800 10 757 95. We have an expert team ready to help give you advice and enable you to make steps towards claiming industrial accident compensation.
