Mobil Oil Fined for Blast at Torrance Refinery
Mobil Oil Corp. was hit with nine citations and $67,005 in fines Friday by the state workplace safety agency Cal/OSHA, which asserted that lax practices at the oil giant’s Torrance refinery preceded the thunderous October blast that injured 28 workers and sparked a community debate over refinery safety.
After a five-month probe, Cal/OSHA investigators concluded that Mobil failed to properly inspect refinery equipment during a series of events before the Oct. 19 explosion.
The lack of inspection was deemed “willful” by Cal/OSHA, which is levying a $42,500 penalty for that single violation.
The agency is assessing smaller penalties for eight other violations, which include not utilizing certain record-keeping procedures and failing to ensure that employees responding to the explosion wore appropriate safety equipment.
Mobil has the right to appeal Cal/OSHA’s findings, but a spokesman said the corporation is still reviewing the citations.
The citations “seem to be consistent” with the findings of Mobil’s internal investigation, said William Buckalew, refinery environmental health and safety manager.
But he added that without further review, he could not say “that each citation is 100% correct.”
He questioned the “willful” violation, saying, “There was no willful intent to violate the law or cause injury here.”
Regarding the $67,005 total, Cal/OSHA spokesman Rick Rice said: “For us, that’s a substantial penalty.”
The findings constitute “a pretty strong batch of citations,” said Anne Bell, editor of Cal/OSHA Reporter, a newsletter for health and safety professionals, who described the “willful” citation as rare.
“They are reserved for pretty severe infractions,” Bell said.
Still unclear is whether a contractor will also be cited by Cal/OSHA. Agency officials said the investigation of the contractor, I.S.T. Mechanical Corp. of Carson, is continuing.
A separate arm of Cal/OSHA, the Bureau of Investigations, is continuing its investigation of the Oct. 19 accident.
Its findings will be reviewed by the county district attorney’s office to determine whether criminal charges are warranted.
The explosion and fire, the largest accident at Mobil since 1987, shook residents’ faith in practices at the mammoth 750-acre refinery, which sits alongside homes, schools and businesses.
The explosion occurred after flammable gases were allowed to flow into a six-inch pipeline. The gases escaped through a disconnected flange and then ignited, according to a Mobil investigation.
Mobil criticized some of its employees for failing to follow proper safety procedures, saying that five Mobil workers were fired or disciplined.
