Illinois workplace accident leaves 2 injured

On behalf of Jeffrey Frederick of Frederick & Hagle posted in Workplace Accidents on Wednesday, December 18, 2013.

In an ideal situation, many adults get up in the morning and go to work. While there, they do their job without incident and go home to their families at the end of the day. When a workplace accident occurs, like a recent fire and explosion at an Illinois factory, the situation is far from ideal.

The incident happened in mid-December when an explosion, followed by a fire, occurred at a chemical plant in a southern suburb of Chicago. Two employees at the plant were hurt seriously in the explosion and taken to a local hospital. Their condition was listed as stable at the time of this report.

In addition to the injured workers, there was substantial destruction done to the property. One building was destroyed by fire. A second was seriously damaged. The fire required the efforts of roughly 10 area firefighters who received assistance from 40 other fire departments. A sprinkler system in place at the facility also helped dampen the flames.

While firefighters battled the chemical-laden flames, all workers were removed from the building. Several nearby businesses also had to be evacuated as a precautionary measure. Vehicles were not allowed on roads leading to and from the facility, and a natural gas line was removed temporarily from service.

As investigators seek to determine what caused this workplace accident, the injured workers will continue to move forward in their recovery process. They may want to investigate their eligibility to receive Illinois workers’ compensation benefits since their injuries occurred during the course of their workday. Knowing what their rights are could help them get all the benefits to which they are entitled.

Source: Chicago Tribune, 2 hurt in Alsip plant explosion, Angie Leventis Lourgos, Dec. 14, 2013