Four contractors have been killed in a fire in an oil refinery in West Wales, Construction Enquirer reported.
The blast occurred in a 730 cubic metre storage tank where maintenance was being carried out at the Chevron refinery at Pembroke Dock.
Greg Hanggi, refinery general manager, said: “This news is utterly devastating. The loss of our co-workers has come as a huge shock to us all. ”Our thoughts and deepest sympathy go out to their families.
“We will ensure that all employees and contractors are fully supported throughout this difficult time.”
He added that Chevron would take every step possible to determine the series of events leading to the tragic incident and ensure that any lessons learnt from it would be learned.
In a separate story Construction Enquirer reported that a steel worker sustained horrific injuries after being dragged through a gap no wider than a CD case.
Matthew Lowe, 23, was working for Barnsley structural steel fabricator Compass Engineering as a plate welder when his overalls got caught on a high-powered conveyor system for moving heavy steel beams.
Barnsley Magistrates’ Court heard that Lowe was forced though an opening just 125mm high on the machine head, suffering horrific injuries that have caused lasting physical and psychological damage.
The HSE investigation into the incident found there was no guarding in place to protect the worker which constitutes a serious safety failing for both Compass Engineering and the machine supplier, Kaltenbach. The court was told that both parties were responsible.
Compass Engineering and Kaltenbach pleaded guilty to safety breaches and magistrates have remitted the case to Sheffield Crown Court for sentencing.
After the hearing, HSE inspector Chris Chambers said: “It almost defies belief that Mr Lowe’s body could contort in such a way to fit through the opening it did, and it’s even more astonishing that he survived to tell the tale.”
After the case, Lowe said: “What matters most is that the industry learns from my experience. My life has changed forever and no matter how well I recover from my physical injuries I will still have the psychological impact of the accident hanging over me.
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