Exxon cited for safety violations at a California refinery after an investigation into a February blast. Photo by Pattie Steib/Shutterstock

SACRAMENTO, Aug. 14 (UPI) -- Exxon Mobil skirted its responsibility as a refinery company by ignoring hazardous conditions at its Torrance refinery, a California regulator said.

A Feb. 18 blast occurred at the 750-acre refinery in Torrance, Calif. Most of the damage was contained to the site during what was described as a small fire.


The California Division of Occupational Safety and Health, a division of the state Department Industrial Relations, issued 19 citations to Exxon for safety and workplace violations after its investigation into the incident and called for $566,600 in total proposed penalties.

"Petroleum refineries have the responsibility to keep workers safe, and to also protect nearby communities and the environment," DIR Director Christine Baker said in a statement. "This investigation revealed severe lapses in Exxon's safety protocols."

The United Steelworkers union at the time of the explosion said the Torrance incident served a reminder of the lopsided policies in the downstream energy industry."Our members work in dangerous and too often deadly conditions," USW International President Leo W. Gerard said in a February statement.

USW was striking at the time to protest unsafe working conditions. While there were no serious injuries as a result of the blast, the California regulator said 18 of the citations were considered serious because of the "realistic possibility" of serious worker injury or death.

Four workers were treated for minor injuries and eight went through a decontamination process after the incident.

The blast occurred near a fluid catalytic unit, part of the refinery's infrastructure used to process gasoline. The company has 15 working days to appeal the citations.

Federal authorities called for an overhaul of refinery safety regulations in the wake of a 2012 blaze at a Chevron's Richmond refinery in California.