Benzene & Petroleum / Oil Refineries

There are a number of industries where an employee may be exposed to high levels of benzene in their daily routine. One such industry is the petroleum industry. Whether the individual is employed at a petroleum refinery or a petrochemical facility, the risk is the same. These facilities produce a large amount of products that contain benzene in varying levels. Depending on what types of products are produced at the facility, the individual’s level of risk of complications from benzene exposure can vary, but all individuals that work in these types of facilities are at risk.

Petroleum refineries and petrochemical facilities produce a wide range of products that contain benzene and can cause employees to have a high benzene exposure. The most common products that individuals should be aware of are gasoline, kerosene, and fuel oils. The fuels oils can be either distillate or residual, but the risk of benzene exposure remains the same. These products are the ones that most individuals will come into contact with in a petroleum refinery. Individuals that come into contact with crude oil are also at risk for benzene exposure as crude oil contains high amounts of benzene and releases it as benzene fumes through a number of processes, including distillation, fractionation, and cracking.

Another product that are created in petroleum refineries that many individuals may not realize contains large amounts of benzene is the lubricants created by petrochemical facilities. These lubricants, because they are created from crude oil, contain about the same amount of benzene as gasoline or kerosene. Individuals that work closely with these lubricants increase their risk of benzene exposure through breathing in the fumes from these lubricants or handling them on a regular basis. Whether the lubricants are actually produced in the facility or mainly used to lubricate the equipment in the facility, individuals that are near these products for an extended period of time have an increased risk of developing complications from benzene exposure.

There are a number of different occupations within the petroleum refinery that may increase an individual’s risk of developing complications from benzene exposure. Individuals that work closely with crude oil and the products that are created from crude oil have the highest risk of high levels of benzene exposure. Maintenance workers, pipefitters, and welders also have a high risk of benzene exposure in these facilities as they are typically working in close confinement with the units that hold the chemicals that contain benzene.

Electricians and normal laborers are exposed to benzene in these facilities mainly by breathing the air in these places for long periods of time. Individuals that transport the crude oil and related products by truck, train, boat, or tanker also have an increased risk of benzene exposure due to their close proximity to the chemical for extended period of time. Many individuals that work for or with petroleum refineries or petrochemical facilities will find that they have been exposed to high levels of benzene for extended periods of time.

Do I have a Benzene Lawsuit?

The Toxic Tort Litigation Group at our law firm is an experienced team of trial lawyers that focus exclusively on the representation of plaintiffs in Benzene lawsuits. We are handling individual and group litigation nationwide and currently accepting new Benzene cases in all 50 states.

If you or a loved one have been exposed to Benzene and developed a form of leukemia or other blood related disease, you should contact us immediately. You may be entitled to compensation and we can help.