Baker injured on the job in pilot light explosion
On behalf of Jeffrey Frederick of Frederick & Hagle posted in Workplace Injuries on Thursday, April 30, 2015.
Up to five workers were in a bakery when an explosion ripped through the building. All of the workers made it out alive, but one did suffer serious injuries from the blast. Like workers injured on the job in Illinois, the man who was hurt should have access to workers’ compensation benefits that can support him in his recovery until he is able to return to work.
Bakery customers began to show up at the entrance around its regular opening time of 5 a.m. Instead of being greeted by the scent of fresh pastries, customers found the devastating aftermath of an explosion. At just past 10 p.m., a worker had relit a pilot light after a new gas line had been installed, sparking the explosion.
That worker suffered serious burns across a significant part of his body. Although he was able to escape the building by himself, he had to be transported to a local area hospital for treatment. It is unclear what his condition was listed at when he arrived at the hospital.
Although the company that installed the new gas line claims that their equipment was all working correctly at the time of the explosion, the bakery’s owner suspects that baking supplies such as flour and sugar could have covered up the scent of any leaking gas in the area. While workers’ compensation benefits are appropriate in this instance, the victim who was injured on the job might also be eligible for compensation from the gas line company if it is determined that it was at least partially at fault. Workers’ comp benefits in Illinois are typically sufficient for addressing related costs from a workplace injury, but there are times when it may be necessary to consider seeking additional compensation from a third party who also appears to bear responsibility.
Source: wpri.com, “Worker suffers first, second degree burns in bakery explosion“, Collin Spence, Brian Yocono and Jared Pliner, April 21, 2015
