Two American Refining Group (ARG) employees were injured in January when an electrical arc flash occurred as they were working on electrical equipment at the plant, according to the Bradford Era in Bradford, New York.

Sara Furlong, executive communications coordinator at ARG, said the incident occurred in the motor control center, or MCC, of the crude unit. Furlong said two male employees, were working in the facility, which is undergoing expansion due to expanding electrical requirements at the refinery. The incident did not disrupt operations at the plant.  

“They were doing routine work at the crude unit” when the arc flash occurred with the equipment, Furlong said. After the arc flash, which did not cause a fire, the employee with less severe injuries was able to radio for assistance.

Furlong said the plant had not experienced any lost time with its employees due to injuries since August of 2012. An investigation was being conducted by the refinery’s in-house safety personnel to determine the cause of the incident.

Officials with OSHA were at the refinery following the incident to investigate, and company officials were able to provide all required information.

Source: www.bradfordera.com