A worker sustained a job injury in Pasadena after an explosion at a chemical manufacturing plant. According to a news report in the San Gabriel Valley Tribune, the incident occurred the evening of May 19, 2010 at Materia Inc. on San Gabriel Boulevard. Pasadena fire officials responded to the incident and transported the worker, a man in his 20s, to a local hospital. The worker is believed to have suffered burns as well as inhalation injuries. A small explosion and fire occurred in one of the company's processing ovens, officials said. The building was apparently filled with smoke. Investigators from the California Department of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) are looking into the cause of the accident.

My heart goes out to this young worker who has apparently sustained burn injuries in this industrial accident. I truly hope he has not suffered any catastrophic injuries. I wish him the very best for a successful recovery. It is indeed fortunate that this incident did not turn out to be fatal. Please keep this victim in your thoughts and prayers.

Industrial Accident Statistics

According to the Cal/OSHA's industrial accident statistics for 2005, 14 workers died that year due to fires and explosions at their workplace or manufacturing facilities. Totally, 253 deaths relating to industrial accidents were reported in California in the year 2005.

Cause of the Explosion

In this particular case, it is not exactly clear what caused the explosion. There are several questions here. Was the worker trained adequately to perform his job? Was he following all safety procedures? Did he have knowledge of those safety procedures? I trust an investigation by local authorities as well as the Cal/OSHA will provide some answers, although it could take months before we find out what occurred.

Third Party Liability

In such cases, injured workers are entitled to workers compensation benefits. However, California workers compensation benefits are meager and hardly enough to cover medical expenses and loss of wages in case of serious injuries. Injured victims would be well-advised to contact an experienced Los Angeles personal injury lawyer who has a successfully handled "third party claims."
These are claims that are usually filed against someone other than an employer, or a third party, whose negligence may have caused the accident and injuries. Examples of such third parties could include contractors, sub-contractors or the manufacturer of a defective product. A third party claim could be a lot more valuable to these workers and the affected families than what they would get through workers compensation benefits. The best personal injury law firms will always offer a free and comprehensive consultation to injured workers and their families.

Do you believe workers are provided adequate training on safety procedures in their workplace?

None of the parties mentioned in this article are represented by us at the time this article was posted. The source of our information is cited in the article. If you were involved in this incident and have questions as to your rights and options, call a reputable law firm for a consultation. Do not act solely upon the information provided herein. The BISNAR | CHASE personal injury law firm will provide free, confidential consultation to "not at fault" persons and their family members if you mention your source was the “Personal Injury Law Journal." They can be reached at 866-456-5235 during California business hours.