A contract worker died following a maintenance incident at Motor Oil’s refinery in Greece on Friday, October 9. Meanwhile, a second worker remained in critical condition, the company confirmed. Both men worked for an outside contractor.
The incident occurred Friday morning at the refinery, roughly 60 kilometers (37mi) west of Athens, near Corinth. Motor Oil said the crew was carrying out extensive preventive maintenance.
Company ambulances initially transported the seriously injured workers to Corinth Hospital. They subsequently transferred both men to Thriasio Hospital. Separately, a third worker sought treatment at Corinth Hospital for mild respiratory symptoms.
Authorities Investigate Maintenance Incident
Following the incident, police took the contractor responsible for the maintenance crew to a local police station. A prosecutor subsequently ordered his arrest, according to Kathimerini.
Preliminary information cited by ERT suggests gas pressure propelled a cover toward the workers, without ignition. However, investigators continue to examine the circumstances and have not established the precise cause.
Motor Oil Pledges Support for Worker’s Family
In its subsequent statement, Motor Oil expressed condolences and pledged to support the deceased worker’s family. The company also said it was cooperating fully with investigators.
Despite the fatal incident, the refinery continued operating normally on Friday, Reuters reported. Motor Oil did not report a fire or damage to the facility.
What is Motor Oil
Motor Oil is a private Greek energy group whose core businesses include refining crude oil and selling petroleum products. Beyond refining, the group operates in electricity, natural gas, and renewable energy.
Its Agioi Theodoroi facility ranks as Greece’s second-largest refinery and accounts for more than one-third of national refining capacity. The refinery produces fuels and lubricants for domestic and international markets.
Motor Oil traces its beginnings to 1970, when its first board appointed Nikos Vardinoyannis chairman and chief executive. The company officially inaugurated its refinery on November 11, 1972.
After Nikos died in 1973, his brother Vardis Vardinoyannis took over the company’s leadership. Subsequently, a new crude distillation complex expanded the refinery’s processing capacity in 1975.
Motor Oil later entered the Athens Stock Exchange, where its shares began trading in August 2001. The following year, it acquired fuel retailer AVIN Oil, expanding its presence in Greece’s retail fuel market.
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