Personal safety at refineries 'is an issue'

A recent fire at ExxonMobil's Baton Rouge refinery in Louisiana has led to the United Steelworkers (USW) stating personal safety is an issue in the industry.

The blaze, which injured one staff member and two contractors, prompted the response following the Tesoro blast earlier this month - a detonation that killed six people.

"We are concerned about this latest incident because there are too many fires happening at refineries around the country," vice-president of the organisation Gary Beevers said.

According to the union, one of the individuals harmed in the accident, Robert McNaylor, was working with a gas compressor when flames caused second and third-degree burns to his upper body.

The two other personnel also present received minor to severe burns, although one has now been discharged from Baton Rouge's General Hospital.

While the reason behind the blast is not yet known, a secondary explosion occurred during a gas test on the faulty equipment, knocking a supervisor off his feet.