Pennzoil-Quaker State To Pay Fine for Explosion

July 26, 2000
Pennzoil-Quaker State Refinery in Shreveport, La., has agreed to pay the $160,000 OSHA\r\npenalty resulting from a January fire and explosion.

Pennzoil-Quaker State Refinery in Shreveport, La., has agreed not to contest safety citations issued by OSHA and to pay the $160,000 penalty resulting from a January fire and explosion.

The citations and penalty resulted from an OSHA investigation that began in response to the accident that occurred Jan. 18, in the refinery''s Naptha Unifiner Unit because of the rupture of a heat exchanger due to chloride corrosion.

One employee was severely burned and two other employees were also hospitalized.

The Shreveport refinery, which employs approximately 300 workers, has its company''s headquarters in Houston, Texas.

The company was cited for violations of the general duty clause, the process safety management of highly hazardous chemicals (PSM) standard, and the hazardous waste and emergency response standard.

Pennzoil-Quaker State Refinery has agreed to abate the cited violations as quickly as possible and to implement the safety provisions stipulated in the settlement agreement.

"An employer''s commitment to and employee participation in a comprehensive safety program are steps to prevention of accidents," said John J. Deifer, OSHA area director in Baton Rouge, La. "The settlement agreement avoids the burden of a possible prolonged litigation and promotes the implementation of rapid abatement."

The Paper, Allied-Industrial, Chemical and Energy Workers (PACE) Local 4-245 and International representatives consulted and assisted OSHA with the settlement agreement.

by Virginia Sutcliffe

About the Author

EHS Today Staff

EHS Today's editorial staff includes:

Dave Blanchard, Editor-in-Chief: During his career Dave has led the editorial management of many of Endeavor Business Media's best-known brands, including IndustryWeekEHS Today, Material Handling & LogisticsLogistics Today, Supply Chain Technology News, and Business Finance. In addition, he serves as senior content director of the annual Safety Leadership Conference. With over 30 years of B2B media experience, Dave literally wrote the book on supply chain management, Supply Chain Management Best Practices (John Wiley & Sons, 2021), which has been translated into several languages and is currently in its third edition. He is a frequent speaker and moderator at major trade shows and conferences, and has won numerous awards for writing and editing. He is a voting member of the jury of the Logistics Hall of Fame, and is a graduate of Northern Illinois University.

Adrienne Selko, Senior Editor: In addition to her roles with EHS Today and the Safety Leadership Conference, Adrienne is also a senior editor at IndustryWeek and has written about many topics, with her current focus on workforce development strategies. She is also a senior editor at Material Handling & Logistics. Previously she was in corporate communications at a medical manufacturing company as well as a large regional bank. She is the author of Do I Have to Wear Garlic Around My Neck?, which made the Cleveland Plain Dealer's best sellers list.

Nicole Stempak, Managing Editor:  Nicole Stempak is managing editor of EHS Today and conference content manager of the Safety Leadership Conference.

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