Commenting on the accident at Chevron Oil refinery in Pembrokeshire Angela Burns Assembly member for South Pembrokeshire said:
“I was in contact with Chevron during the night as the details of this accident emerged and was deeply sorry to hear of the loss of life. This is a personal tragedy for the four families who have lost a beloved person and our thoughts and prayers must be with them and the family of the fifth man who is still so very ill in Hospital.
The emergency services and the Gold command structure acted impeccably in their response to the events of the night and I would like to thank the fire fighters, the police, the ambulance crews and of course the staff at Chevron for acting so swiftly and for ensuring that the planned procedures and emergency protocols were implemented and that the explosion was contained and extinguished as quickly as it was.
Obviously the causes of this terrible accident are unclear and I have been very uncomfortable about some of the rumours and speculation that are circulating. I welcome the Inquiry being conducted by Chevron and I know that the Police, Health & Safety and the Environment Agency will be conducting inquiries of their own. What is crucial is that we understand exactly what happened, learn from and implement any lessons that we can and also ensure that those lessons are communicated to the wider sector so that we can have the best possible practice in all of the energy industries based on the Haven.
This is the time for us to stand shoulder to shoulder with the families involved and with the staff and contractors at Chevron. We have always been proud of the highly skilled workforce we have there and of the value that Chevron has contributed to the local economy and too many community projects over the years. I believe it is possible for us to do that whilst at the same time conducting a thorough and probing investigation into what happened to ensure that the best possible procedures and practices are in place to protect us all.”
