Council Plans Memorials to Remember Workers Killed in 2010 Explosion at Tesoro Anacortes, Washington, Refinery
Contact: Tracy W. Scott, USW Local 5, o) 925-313-0872, c) 707-694-8038 tscott@usw5.org
Martinez, Calif.—Members of the United Steelworkers (USW) Tesoro Council are calling on Tesoro to improve safety at its facilities before another tragic incident occurs like the April 2, 2010 explosion and fire that killed seven employees at the Anacortes, Wash., refinery.
The council, which represents workers at Tesoro refineries and pipelines, met in mid-March to discuss safety and other issues. The group is holding memorials at several company locations on April 2 to remember the Anacortes victims. These memorials will be inside company gates and open to employees only.
In a statement issued on refinery safety at Tesoro, the council described what went wrong in the April 2, 2010 explosion and fire and the recent Feb. 12, 2014 incident where two employees were splashed with sulfuric acid in the alkylation unit.
“These two incidents point to an ongoing problem within the company’s culture as regards safety for its workers and neighboring communities,” the council statement said. “…it is incumbent upon Tesoro to be the leader in safety in an industry that is inherently dangerous by its nature.
“We call on Tesoro to follow the recommendations of the CSB (U.S. Chemical Safety Board) and make the necessary improvements and changes in process and procedure in order to minimize risk and improve safety.”
To get a copy of the Tesoro Council statement, CLICK HERE.
The USW is the largest industrial union in North America and has 850,000 members in the U.S., Canada, and the Caribbean. It represents workers employed in metals, rubber, glass, chemicals, paper and forestry, energy, and the service sector.
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