Refinery Fire Update: Injured Worker Was Taken by Helicopter to Hospital for Treatment
PBF Energy's Martinez refinery releases more details about latest fire; county supervisor issues statement
A contract worker was taken by helicopter to a hospital for treatment after being injured in the last week’s fire at PBF Energy’s Martinez refinery, according to the refinery’s 72-hour report on the incident.
Martinez Refining Co. says in the report that “it is currently believed” that diesel fuel splashed on the contract worker while a portable air compressor was being refueled around 7:47 p.m. Wednesday. No further information on the extent of the worker’s injuries was revealed in the report. MRC elaborated in a Facebook post that it couldn’t release additional information on the worker’s condition because of privacy laws.
The fire affecting the worker “was extinguished by nearby contract partners,” according to the report, while the air compressor fire was put out by MRC’s fire department and contract emergency responders.
According to the report, MRC’s department requested an ambulance for the injured worker from the Contra Costa Fire Protection District (ConFire), and ConFire requested a helicopter transport while responding to the incident. The injured worker was taken to the refinery’s on-site helipad and airlifted.
The report says that, “based on visual observation,” less than 2 gallons of diesel was released in the incident, none of which traveled off site.
The refinery will be required to submit a 30-day follow-up report on the incident, which comes on the heels of the massive Feb. 1 fire that prompted a local shelter-in-place advisory.
In its Facebook post on the April 2 incident, MRC wrote: “Our thoughts are with the contract worker, their family, and the contract company. We want to thank the workers at the refinery, who were on scene, who extinguished the fire, and helped the worker.”
The refinery went on to say that it “is cooperating with the California Department of Industrial Relations (Cal/OSHA), which is conducting an inspection into the incident. MRC will continue to work with all agencies on this matter.”
Cal/OSHA is also investigating the Feb. 1 fire that left six workers with minor injuries.
MRC added that it is continuing with plans to resume some operations following the Feb. 1 fire, which has largely shuttered the refinery over the past two months.
The office of Contra Costa County Supervisor Shanelle Scales-Preston issued the following statement about the latest incident in its weekly newsletter on Friday:
Supervisor Shanelle Scales-Preston expressed deep concern and disappointment following the recent incident at a local refinery that resulted in serious injury to a worker. In conversations with local news outlets, she strongly condemned the incident, emphasizing the urgent need for transparency, safety oversight, and accountability from industrial partners.
Her thoughts and prayers are with the injured employee and their family during this difficult time. Supervisor Scales-Preston has also reiterated her ongoing call for a full facility audit to ensure that the health and safety of workers is paramount and that all safety protocols are properly implemented and enforced.