Incident Report Subject: Linden refinery worker critical after being burned in fire Date of Email report: Fri 03/06/2011 Report Detail:
He was airlifted to the burn unit at Saint Barnabas Medical Center in Livingston after medics determined he apparently inhaled superheated air through his nose. A company spokesman could not confirm the extent of the worker’s injuries. Rich Johnson, a ConocoPhillips spokesman, said a fire occurred in a furnace crude unit at the refinery at about 1:50 p.m. The unit heats crude oil as part of the refining process. He said a vacuum also is part of the crude unit that heats up crude oil at a plant that produces gasoline and motor fuels. The refinery fire department responded and extinguished the fire, Johnson said. The fire was extinguished shortly after 2 p.m., police said. Johnson said local officials, emergency responders and government agencies also were notified. Johnson said one worker was burned and transported to the hospital for treatment. All other workers in the unit are safe and have been accounted for, he said. Johnson said refinery crews followed established safety procedures to shut down the furnace, with minimal flaring and no off-site impact. He said the refinery remains in operation but is running at a reduced rate. The unit where the fire occurred has been shut down. The cause of the fire is under investigation by ConocoPhillips personnel, Johnson said.
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