Fatality reported at Valero Texas City refinery

The failure of a boiler at the Valero Texas City Refinery resulted in the death of a Valero employee, reports the Business Journal. Tommy Manis, of Alvin, was fatally injured in the accident. One other Valero employee and one contract worker were treated for minor injuries. Workers at a Texas refinery were trying to restart a giant industrial boiler when a catastrophic failure killed one worker and injured two others, a company spokesman said. The boiler that failed was one of several providing power and steam at the refinery. The failed boiler was being restarted after it had shut down earlier in the day, Day said. Boilers like the one that failed generate steam for use in the petroleum refining process. The failed boiler was installed at the plant in 2006. At 101 years old, the refinery is among the oldest in Texas. Since buying the refinery more than a decade ago, Valero has invested heavily in upgrading refining units. The Texas City refinery is certified under OSHA''s Voluntary Protection Program for employee safety, which does not include refinery process safety. Investigators from the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration were expected to arrive at the refinery to begin probing the accident. There was no widespread release of hazardous chemicals in the accident.