Safety - Environmental & Industrial

Oil refinery releases many chemicals and contaminants into the environment and atmosphere. As a result, the air and water surrounding a refinery plant is likely to get polluted, which is ultimately bad for our health and the environment. Furthermore, there is also the concern of noise pollution as these refinery plants are apt to emit noise levels above the appropriate level for urban places. This air, water and noise pollution can pose health risks for the human population.

As such, oil refineries have to be located away from major urban districts, which is the case of the ExxonMobil plant on Jurong Island, located a safe distance away from the Singapore mainland.

Oil refining is also a very dangerous job because many products are highly flammable, present in very large quantities, and also, many of the refining processes require high temperatures and pressures. This means that there is a high risk of large-scale fires and explosions. Also, many refining processes use toxic and corrosive chemicals, so storage and handling of these chemicals must be done with care. Therefore, these chemicals are contained in closed systems that monitor and control the exposure of the chemicals. Workers are also specially trained in process technology and operation in safe conditions and supervised closely. They are also taught to be prepared for any emergency and be on their toes at all times. Equipment and facilities in the refineries are always carefully maintained. Also, the island is closed to visitors to prevent theft of fuels, which could lead to terror attacks.