The Telegraph 03 June 2011 1:52PM BST
'At a refinery you are working within a time-bomb and at any time something can go wrong,'' said Tony Spicer, 75, of Gwyther Street, Pembroke Dock.
The pensioner, a former welder at the refinery when it was owned by Texaco, added: ''It is inevitable that an accident would happen.
''I feel safe here in Pembroke Dock because the refinery is about four miles away as the crow flies.
''It is terrible when something like this happens. The lives of four people is a great loss. But this is not the first accident.
''I think that an accident and loss of life is inevitable from time to time. It's not always human error, it is just something that can happen.
''Although it is regrettable, I was not surprised.''
He said that while some people still oppose the siting of the decades-old refinery, most accept it also brings much-needed well-paid work.
''If the refinery finished tomorrow, a lot of people would be out of work and it would hit the local economy. Everyone from the milkman to shopkeepers would be affected.''
Others agreed with his hard-nosed assertion as they finished work today at the Alsthom power station being built nearby.
One man, from the south Wales valleys, who did not wish to be named, had travelled to the area and was in digs nearby.
He works for a contractor which has workers at both the power station project and the refinery.
''It is shocking to learn something like this had happened. I have not been here long myself. I couldn't find work where I live and moved down recently. But I've never worked somewhere where people have died before.
''It is terrible but it is always a potential risk working somewhere like this. You have to minimise the risk but accidents can always happen.''
'At a refinery you are working within a time-bomb and at any time something can go wrong,'' said Tony Spicer, 75, of Gwyther Street, Pembroke Dock.
The pensioner, a former welder at the refinery when it was owned by Texaco, added: ''It is inevitable that an accident would happen.
''I feel safe here in Pembroke Dock because the refinery is about four miles away as the crow flies.
''It is terrible when something like this happens. The lives of four people is a great loss. But this is not the first accident.
''I think that an accident and loss of life is inevitable from time to time. It's not always human error, it is just something that can happen.
''Although it is regrettable, I was not surprised.''
He said that while some people still oppose the siting of the decades-old refinery, most accept it also brings much-needed well-paid work.
''If the refinery finished tomorrow, a lot of people would be out of work and it would hit the local economy. Everyone from the milkman to shopkeepers would be affected.''
Others agreed with his hard-nosed assertion as they finished work today at the Alsthom power station being built nearby.
One man, from the south Wales valleys, who did not wish to be named, had travelled to the area and was in digs nearby.
He works for a contractor which has workers at both the power station project and the refinery.
''It is shocking to learn something like this had happened. I have not been here long myself. I couldn't find work where I live and moved down recently. But I've never worked somewhere where people have died before.
''It is terrible but it is always a potential risk working somewhere like this. You have to minimise the risk but accidents can always happen.''
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