Key Takeaways

  • Property insurance protects against facility damage and loss of earnings.
  • General liability shields from injury and pollution claims.
  • Auto coverage protects for vehicle accidents and hazardous cargo.
  • Workers’ comp ensures support for injured employees.

Introduction

Petroleum refineries face high risks due to handling flammable materials and operating complex machinery. Proper insurance is critical to protect these businesses financially and legally. The top coverage options refineries should consider include property, general liability, auto and workers’ compensation policies.

Property Insurance

Property insurance provides crucial protection for businesses in high-risk industries like petroleum refineries. Refineries face significant risks of fires, explosions and natural disasters due to handling large quantities of flammable fuels and chemicals. It is important for refineries to carry adequate property insurance to ensure funds are available for repairing or rebuilding damages infrastructure and preventing revenue losses from shutdowns. The estimated average annual property insurance pricing for refineries is $3.50 per $100 of insured property value due to the inherent hazards associated with petroleum production such as fire risks, accidents and environmental pollution exposures.

Category List
Benefits
  • Protection against property damage and loss
  • Replacement cost coverage for buildings and equipment
  • Business interruption coverage to continue operations if facilities are damaged
  • Covers additional expenses to reduce losses from covered perils
  • Insures legally required upgrades to property after a covered loss
  • Covers debris removal costs after a loss to allow for cleanup
  • Protects the balance sheet and credit rating by ensuring funds for rebuilding
Use Cases
  • Protection against fire damage
  • Protection against explosions or accidents at the refinery site
  • Protection against natural disasters like hurricanes, floods, earthquakes that can damage equipment and facilities
  • Protection for off-site pollution liabilities if a spill occurs and contaminates off-site properties
  • Business interruption insurance to cover loss of revenue/profits if operations are disrupted due to a covered incident

Based on industry data and insurance rate calculations, the average estimated annual property insurance pricing for petroleum refineries is $3.50 per $100 of property value. This was derived based on the high risks associated with petroleum production such as fire hazards, accidents, and environmental risks. Furthermore, refineries often have a large amount of property value which increases the overall insurance costs. The final price is subject to each individual refinery’s unique risk assessment.

Estimated Pricing: $3.50 per $100 of property value

General Liability Insurance

General liability insurance is an important coverage for businesses in the petroleum refineries industry (NAICS code 324110) as it protects them from risks of accidental bodily injury, property damage, pollution incidents, and resulting lawsuits that could occur during operations involving hazardous materials. Given the high risks involved with refining flammable fuels and potential impacts to the environment, general liability insurance provides petroleum refineries with financial protection and peace of mind to focus on running their operations smoothly. The average annual premium for general liability insurance for petroleum refineries is between $100,000-$150,000 based on factors like potential liabilities from materials handled, property values, pollution requirements, and business activities.

Category List
Benefits
  • Protects the company from claims of accidental bodily injury or property damage from third parties
  • Covers legal expenses if the business is sued by a third party
  • Provides coverage for environmental mitigation if pollution accidentally spreads from business operations
  • Covers expenses related to product recalls if a refined product is found to be defective or contaminated
  • Insures the company against liability claims that may arise from conducting operations such as transportation and storage of hazardous materials
  • Peace of mind knowing the financial consequences of an incident will be covered
Use Cases
  • Protection against accidents or injuries on company premises
  • Protection against property damage claims from third parties
  • Protection against lawsuits from employees, customers, or the public
  • Coverage for resulting fines, penalties and legal defense costs from accidents or incidents
  • Protection for environmental impairments or pollution incidents on the premises or affecting neighboring properties

Based on industry data, the average annual premium for general liability insurance for businesses in the petroleum refineries industry (NAICS 324110) is around $100,000-$150,000. This pricing is derived considering factors like potential liabilities from refining hazardous materials, large property values and equipment on site, requirements to maintain pollution insurance, business operations involving flammable fuels, and potential impacts to the environment.

Estimated Pricing: $125,000

Workers Compensation Insurance

Workers compensation insurance plays a critical role in protecting petroleum refineries and their employees. Refineries involve hazardous work handling flammable chemicals and heavy machinery, so injuries are unfortunately common. Insurance helps ensure employees receive support and the business faces no liability if an accident occurs. The reference covers top benefits, use cases and estimated pricing information for workers compensation insurance specific to refineries to help protect against injury claims, cover medical expenses and lost wages, insure common risks, and provide an estimated price range for this hazardous industry.

Category List
Benefits
  • Covers medical expenses if an employee gets injured or becomes ill due to their job
  • Pays lost wages if an employee cannot work due to a job-related injury or illness
  • Protects your business from lawsuits if an employee is injured on the job
  • Compliance with state laws – Most states require employers to carry workers compensation insurance.
  • No-fault coverage – Workers comp benefits are provided regardless of who was at fault for an injury. The insurance takes care of costs rather than lengthy legal battles.
  • Attracting quality talent – Having workers comp helps businesses in this industry attract skilled workers who want safety assurances. It demonstrates a commitment to employee welfare.
  • Reduced turnover – Injured employees receive benefits so they are less likely to need to find new jobs. This saves costs associated with frequent hiring and training of replacements.
Use Cases
  • Protecting against injury claims from employees that are injured on the job from heavy machinery and industrial accidents that are common in refineries
  • Covering medical expenses and lost wages for employees injured from exposure to chemicals, hazardous materials, and flammable liquids commonly used in refinery processes
  • Insuring against claims from repetitive stress or ergonomic injuries from performing labor-intensive jobs on production lines and involved in lifting or manual labor
  • Compensating for disabilities or lost limbs from accidents involving moving machinery with sharp or heavy parts
  • Covering illness or disease claims related to long-term chemical exposure through inhalation or skin contact that manifests over time
  • Insuring against third party liability claims if a contracted worker is injured on their worksite

For businesses in the Petroleum Refineries industry (NAICS 324110), the average workers compensation insurance rate is estimated to be between $15-$25 per $100 of payroll. This rate is higher than the national average of $1.50-$2 per $100 due to the dangerous nature of working in refineries which involves working with flammable and toxic chemicals under high pressure. The final price would depend on the business’s payroll amount, claims history, safety record, and other firm-specific factors.

Estimated Pricing: $15-$25/per $100 payroll

Commercial Auto Insurance

Commercial auto insurance provides important liability protection and coverage for vehicles used in petroleum refineries, which often transport hazardous materials between facilities using large fleets of commercial trucks. It reimburses businesses for damages and injuries from accidents and helps shield companies from expensive lawsuits. The average estimated annual premium for commercial auto insurance for businesses in the petroleum refineries industry ranges from $2,500 to $3,500 per commercial vehicle.

Category List
Benefits
  • Liability protection in case of accidents
  • Coverage for company vehicles
  • Reimbursement for damages and injuries
  • Lawful operation requirement
  • Coverage for hired and non-owned vehicles
  • Protection for transportation of hazardous materials
  • Medical payments coverage for occupants
  • Uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage
Use Cases
  • Insuring company owned vehicles used to transport raw materials and finished goods between refineries, storage facilities, distribution centers and customer locations
  • Insuring commercial vehicles like trucks used to transport crude oil, petroleum products and other hazardous materials within refineries and between facilities
  • Insuring passenger vehicles used by employees for business purposes

Based on industry research and factors such as high liability risks, commercial auto insurance for businesses in the petroleum refineries industry tend to have higher premiums. The average annual estimated pricing is around $2,500-$3,500 per commercial vehicle after applying various discounts.

Estimated Pricing: $2,500-$3,500

Conclusion

Given the hazardous nature of refining petroleum, having strong insurance protection in place is essential. This article reviewed the key benefits, uses and estimated pricing of the most important policies for refineries to safeguard facilities, operations and employees from unexpected losses.

Frequently Asked Questions

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