OSHA: Sunoco didn't fix its problems, Some issues at refinery 6 years old, agency says ($330,000)

[Omaha Steve]

http://toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080510/BUSINESS03/805100371

Article published Saturday, May 10, 2008
OSHA: Sunoco didn't fix its problems
Some issues at refinery 6 years old, agency says

By LARRY P. VELLEQUETTE
BLADE BUSINESS WRITER

An East Toledo oil refinery hit with $330,000 in fines by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration this week allegedly didn't maintain paperwork and failed to fix things it knew needed attention up to six years ago, according to OSHA documents reviewed by The Blade.

Sunoco Inc.'s Woodville Road facility underwent an extensive inspection in November, 2007, by safety investigators under OSHA's National Emphasis Program for petroleum refineries. An emphasis on inspections for refineries was launched after a 2005 explosion at BP's refinery in Texas City, Texas, killed 15 people.

At Sunoco, inspectors found 27 serious and three willful violations, broadly classified in three basic types:

•Maintenance records not properly maintained, which prevented Sunoco officials from correctly determining which equipment might need service or replacement.

•Safety planning in which Sunoco allegedly failed to properly protect workers from potential blast damage or airborne contaminants.

•Failing to fix or replace pieces of equipment found to be wearing thin or leaking as far back as 2001 and not keeping up with engineering practices, especially regarding pressure-relief valves.

FULL story at link.

[Mind_your_head]

1. Whoa.....I didn't even know that "Sunoco" was still around........

Sun Oil Company..... get it, SuNoCo?

[Mind_your_head]

2. Early promises/contracts made, yet never kept?

think "masons"....