Four hurt at Motiva refinery
Lightning strike sends one worker to hospital
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
River Parishes bureau
Four contract workers at the Motiva oil refinery in Norco were injured Tuesday afternoon after a steel crane they were working near was struck by lightning, authorities said.
One of the workers was taken to River Parishes Hospital in LaPlace while the others were being examined on-site by paramedics, said Maj. Sam Zinna, a spokesman for the St. Charles Sheriff’s Office.
“The crane was pretty far up,” Zinna said. “We’re not sure whether the crane got hit directly. We’re still investigating.”

The extent of the injuries wasn’t available. The contractors worked for Turner Industries, but a company spokesman was not available Tuesday.
The accident, which was reported at 2:09 p.m., happened near a hydro-cracker unit on the Motiva grounds, Zinna said.