Fatal Industrial Misstep at Deer Park Refinery Results in Multiple Deaths and Legal Action Against PEMEX

In October, two contract workers at the Deer Park PEMEX refinery lost their lives after they accidentally opened a flanged connection, causing the leak of hydrogen sulfide gas.According to Click2Houston, the event happened because the wrong pipe was accidentally opened, which was only five feet away from the intended one, rather than because of a procedural error.

There were serious consequences from the incident: one employee was declared dead at the site, and another employee of a nearby contracting company died soon after from gas exposure. According to ABC13, two additional employees who worked less than 250 feet away were also impacted, and one of them passed away as a result of the exposure. Highway 225 was closed after the incident, and the Deer Park and Pasadena neighborhoods were placed under a shelter-in-place order for a number of hours.

The victims’ relatives have sued PEMEX, PMI Services of North America, and Shell USA in an effort to obtain justice and take steps to stop future occurrences of this kind. In one case, which was filed in Harris County on behalf of Jose Perez, 28, there are claims of carelessness, including poor evacuation protocols and problems with equipment maintenance. In an interview with ABC13, Benny Agosto Jr., managing partner at Abraham Watkins Law Firm, which represents the Perez family, said that if the right processes and safety measures had been followed, the incident could have been avoided.

The U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB) is keeping a close check on a number of components of the refinery’s operations, including risk assessments, emergency systems, and permit-to-work procedures. “Even at low concentrations, hydrogen sulfide is a highly toxic substance that can cause serious injury and death,” CSB Chairperson Steve Owens told Click2Houston. Despite not having the power to issue fines or citations, the CSB has pledged to carry out a comprehensive investigation. Creating suggestions to stop such occurrences in the future continues to be its main priority.

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