Tulsa's Sinclair Refinery Hit With $240,000 OSHA Fine

NewsOn6.com

TULSA, OK -- OSHA has hit Tulsa's Sinclair Oil Refinery with 38 safety and health violations.

In a news release from the U.S. Department of Labor, OHSA says during an inspection of the facility in February, they found hazards during a 1995 inspection that had not been fixed.

Proposed penalties total $240,750 according to OSHA. 

"Failure to effectively implement OSHA's process safety management regulations to protect employees from potential hazards at high risk facilities, such as petrochemical refineries, will not be tolerated," said David Bates, OSHA's area director in Oklahoma City. "This planned inspection has identified hazards for corrective action to help prevent accidents or injuries."

OSHA says the violations cited include hazards associated with process safety management, portable fire extinguishers, emergency response and evacuation, benzene, hexavalent chromium, electrical deficiencies, chemical storage, fall protection, compressed gas cylinders and walking/working surfaces.

12/15/2006 Related story: Sinclair Oil Forced To Pay Fine For Cheating On Environmental Protection Tests

Sinclair, which is based out of Salt Lake City, Utah, employs about 260 workers at the Tulsa refinery.