Refinery Operators
Union locals: USW Local 241 (El Dorado — HollyFrontier/HF Sinclair) · Local 558 (McPherson — CHS Refinery)
How Refinery Operators Were Exposed to Asbestos
During normal duties, Refinery Operators were routinely exposed to asbestos-containing materials in Kansas industrial, commercial, and public construction work from the 1930s through the 1980s. Documented exposure pathways drawn from public litigation records and industrial hygiene literature include:
- Operating crude units, reformers, and FCC units insulated with asbestos at El Dorado and McPherson refineries
- Replacing asbestos gaskets on pumps, valves, and flanges during turnarounds
- Walking process units saturated with friable asbestos during outages
- Repacking asbestos-rope packing in compressors and pump shafts
- Cleaning up after insulator and pipefitter work in operating areas
Why This Matters for Kansas Workers
If you worked as a refinery operators in Kansas during the asbestos era and have been diagnosed with mesothelioma, asbestosis, lung cancer, or pleural disease, you may have a legal claim — even if your employer is no longer in business. Many asbestos product manufacturers have established bankruptcy trust funds that continue to pay qualified claimants based on documented exposure history.
Kansas Filing Deadlines — Two Separate Clocks
Kansas keeps the personal-injury clock (K.S.A. § 60-513 — 2 years from diagnosis) and the wrongful-death clock (K.S.A. § 60-1903 — 2 years from date of death) on separate, independent tracks. Preserving one does not extend the other. An experienced Kansas asbestos attorney can keep both options open as your situation evolves.
Talk to an Experienced Kansas Asbestos Attorney
A free, confidential consultation with O’Brien Law Firm can evaluate your specific exposure history and filing-deadline situation. No fee unless they recover compensation.
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