Fatal Industrial Incident at Iraqi Oil Refinery: One Worker Killed, 13 Injured in Fire

According to the Supporters of Workers’ Health, Safety and Environment (HSE) News Agency, citing ILNA and the Iraqi News Agency (INA/WA), an industrial fire at the Salah al-Din 2 Oil Refinery in the city of Baiji, approximately 180 kilometers north of Baghdad, resulted in the death of one worker and injuries to 13 others.

The Iraqi Ministry of Oil announced that the fire broke out at 7:45 p.m. on Monday in one of the refinery’s operational compressors. Emergency response teams, including safety, firefighting, and HSE units, were immediately dispatched to the site. The fire was brought under control by 8:00 p.m. and completely extinguished by 8:15 p.m. the same evening.

In its statement, the Ministry indicated that the preliminary cause of the incident was related to the replacement of a compressor, an activity described as part of the refinery’s routine daily maintenance operations. However, the incident once again underscores the critical importance of strict compliance with HSE requirements, particularly during maintenance and equipment replacement activities.

Industrial safety experts emphasize that work involving high‑risk equipment such as compressors must be preceded by comprehensive risk assessments, including Job Safety Analysis (JSA), full energy isolation procedures (Lockout/Tagout – LOTO), and continuous supervision by HSE personnel, in order to prevent similar incidents.

Reports indicate that the injured workers are currently receiving medical treatment, while further investigations are underway to determine the exact root causes of the fire, assess compliance with safety protocols, and identify any potential shortcomings in HSE management systems.