Dangerous Chemical Exposures Faced by Colorado Oil and Gas Industry Workers

 Posted on July 30, 2021 in Workplace Injury

Two workers were killed and another 42 injured in a work accident after a chemical leak at a plant in La Porte, Texas, earlier this week. According to information released by the company, LyondellBasell, approximately 100,000 pounds of a chemical mixture that included acetic acid was released in the leak. Other chemicals released included hydrogen iodide, methyl acetate, and methyl iodide.

Plant officials say 30 of the workers injured were hospitalized, some with critical injuries. One victim suffered burns, while the 29 others suffered respiratory issues.

What Is Acetic Acid?

Acetic acid is an organic, flammable liquid that can cause serious eye damage and severe skin burns to exposed victims. The acid also produces a hazardous vapor and is very corrosive to metals and tissues. Acetic acid is used to make other chemicals. It is also used as a food additive in extremely diluted amounts.

Acetic acid is also widely used in the petroleum industry – an industry that employs almost a quarter of a million workers right here in Colorado. The acid is used in a number of products and chemicals at refineries, especially for well simulations. The primary types of well simulation that use acetic acid are hydraulic fracturing and matrix acidizing.

Chemical Dangers in the Petroleum Industry

One of the most dangerous hazards for workers in the oil and gas industry is chemical exposure. There are a number of potentially deadly chemicals, like acetic acid, that workers are exposed to every day. Unfortunately, accidental chemical accidents and exposure happen far too often. The annual oil and gas fatality rate is more than six times more deadly than the fatality rate among all U.S. workers.

Another dangerous chemical that petroleum workers can be exposed to is hydrofluoric acid. This chemical can leave a worker’s lungs scarred and even asphyxiate the worker to death.

Prolonged exposure to these and other chemicals can cause brain injury, cancers, leukemia, paralysis, and respiratory conditions. Even short-term exposure can leave workers suffering from chemical burns, eye irritation, fatigue, headaches, and nausea.

Oil and gas workers are also exposed to other potentially fatal hazards, including vapors and gases that can cause explosions and fires, resulting in catastrophic injuries and death to workers.

All these potentially deadly situations oil and gas workers face every day are why it is critical that the companies they work for take the necessary steps to provide their employees with protective equipment and gear, proper training, safety protocols, fire prevention, and any other precautions necessary to ensure worker safety.

Contact a Fort Collins, CO Injury Attorney

If you are a petroleum worker who has been injured or suffering a health condition due to chemical or other hazardous exposure on the job, contact a seasoned Larimer County workers’ compensation attorney to find out what your legal options may be. Our firm can also help families whose loved ones have died due to their on-the-job exposure. Call Hoggatt Law Office, P.C. at 970-225-2190 to schedule a free and confidential consultation.

Sources:

https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/programs/oilgas/burden.html

https://www.usw.org/workplaces/oil/oil-reports/A-Risk-Too-Great.pdf

https://abc13.com/lyondellbasell-mass-casualty-lyondell-chemical-release-la-porte-incident/10913127/

https://www.petropedia.com/definition/84/acetic-acid