On September 27, 2021, the day of the incident, Westlake operators issued what’s called a “hot work permit”. The permit allowed welders to do their job in and around the refinery. Unfortunately, Westlake’s operators failed to ensure that the work area was safe and free from hydrocarbons. It is believed that the lines being worked on still contained hydrocarbons and those hydrocarbons found a welding ignition source, ultimately causing this explosion.
Multiple lawsuits have been filed on behalf of injured workers due to the Westlake Chemical plant explosion near Lake Charles, Louisiana. According to accounts, many stated that no warning was given before the explosion occurred.
This explosion comes after a long series of chemical plant explosions and incidents. Typically, these types of serious incidents occur during turnaround operations and during startup and shutdown. Often the most dangerous time inside of a petrochemical plant is during the startup and shutdown phase. In this instance, contractors were working in the area while the plant was shut down, however, evidently not free of flammable hydrocarbons.
Recently due to this explosion, Attorneys Benny Agosto, Jr., Lena Lorenza, and Barney Dill of Abraham, Watkins, Nichols, Agosto, Aziz, and Stogner filed suit on behalf of two injured workers. Both Plaintiffs were contractors at the time of the explosion and suffered injuries as a result of the incident.
If you or someone you know has suffered due to petrol chemical-related injury or loss of a family member, contact an attorney at Abraham, Watkins, Nichols, Agosto, Aziz, & Stogner by calling 713-396-3964 or toll-free at 1-800-594-4884.