SAN FRANCISCO — Corrosion that went unchecked – the suspected cause of a fire at Chevron Corp.'s Richmond refinery in August – has been linked to a fire at the plant in October 2011, the San Francisco Chronicle reported Sunday ().http://bit.ly/OzFQcu
According to state inspection documents obtained by The Chronicle, a state Division of Occupational Safety and Health inspector who investigated the smaller 2011 fire documented allegations from two workers of corrosion at the refinery.
The 2011 fire took place during a scheduled maintenance shutdown and was quickly extinguished.
"We're afraid something is going to fall through the cracks," one worker told Cal/OSHA safety inspector Carla Fritz, who went to the plant to investigate the fire last November.
"We're concerned about increased corrosion – we've increased temperatures and increased rates, and it takes a toll on the equipment," said the worker, who was identified in Fritz's notes as head operator of the lube oil plant – the most senior of a 20-member operator crew.
Cal/OSHA said in a statement that a violation notice was not issued to Chevron over the 2011 fire "because the problem alleged and potential hazard had been already identified and corrected."
