Deadly Workplace Explosions

In 2023, a natural gas leak from a faulty pipe fitting caused a deadly explosion at the R.M. Palmer Company factory in West Reading, Pennsylvania, killing seven workers and injuring dozens. Just months ago, there was yet another catastrophic occupational incident; preliminary findings indicate that the explosion at the U.S. Steel Clairton Coke Works plant outside of Pittsburgh, PA, which killed two workers and injured 10, resulted from a gas valve failure that occurred during maintenance.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports that more than 200 workers are killed and 5,000 others are injured in fires and explosions each year. The Bureau found that from 2021 to 2022, there were 350 fires and explosions at construction sites. 160 of these involved ignitions of clothing, gases, vapors, or liquids. Additionally, the U.S. Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) reported 616 pipeline incidents in 2023. The pipeline incidents caused 17 fatalities and 39 injuries.

Common Causes of Workplace Explosions

When the explosion occurred at the R.M. Palmer chocolate factory in West Reading, rescue efforts to find survivors took days. At the U.S. Steel facility, survivors were trapped under rubble, and the explosion was heard – and felt – miles away. The BLS reports that factors that cause explosions include:

• Improper storage of flammable liquids, gases, and/or hazardous chemicals.
• Fires can escalate into explosions, often involving poorly maintained electrical equipment or flammable materials.
• Contact with live wires, poorly maintained transformers, and/or electrical arcs can trigger an explosion.
• Defective equipment, faulty electrical wiring, or mechanical sparks can act as ignition sources for an explosion.
• Leaking gas pipes or propane tanks can create an explosive atmosphere, particularly when ignited by a spark.
• Performing certain types of hot work, like welding, drilling, and/or sawing, can generate sparks or high temperatures that ignite flammable substances.
• Friction from machinery or static electricity can generate the heat necessary to ignite flammable materials.

There have been many horrific workplace explosions throughout American history, like the Monongah mining disaster of 1907, which killed 362 people, the 1947 Texas City disaster, which claimed an estimated 581 lives, the Imperial Sugar refinery explosion in 2008, which killed 14 and injured nearly 40, and the Deepwater Horizon explosion in 2010, which led to a catastrophic oil leak and killed 11 workers. Although safety and health efforts have come a long way over the last few decades, it is clear that there are still many critical improvements remaining for industry leaders to make.

Workplace Safety: Preventing Explosions

Workplace explosions can occur anywhere, but they most commonly occur in petroleum and refinery plants, manufacturing and chemical plants, and in the mining, agriculture, and construction industries. Some injuries that victims of workplace explosions frequently sustain include:

• Lacerations
• Fractures
• Burns
• Electrocution
• Amputation
• Broken bones
• Traumatic brain injuries

As they are caused by a sudden blast of combustible materials, faulty equipment, or other types of hazardous conditions, explosion injuries are often significant and/or life-threatening. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration, or OSHA, has several standards in place to mitigate explosion-related risks. This includes standards on how to maintain occupational equipment and how to address other fire and explosion risks, like combustible dusts, gases, chemicals, and more. Employers must follow OSHA’s guidelines, taking steps to prioritize the health and safety of employees at all times.

Contacting an Attorney

Depending on the circumstances surrounding the injuries a person sustains in a workplace incident, they may not only want to file a Workers’ Compensation claim, but also a products liability or third-party liability claim. Workers’ Compensation is a type of insurance that provides injured workers with medical benefits and wage replacement. In addition to Workers’ Compensation benefits, you may also be entitled to economic and non-economic damages, like pain and suffering, emotional distress, and loss of life enjoyment.

If your injuries resulted from defective machinery, for example, multiple parties (like the manufacturer of the product, the distributor handling the product between the manufacturer and the retailer, the designer, and/or the third-party contractor involved in the manufacturing or design process) may be held responsible. At Galfand Berger, our attorneys have decades of experience representing victims of unsafe workplaces. Here are some examples of our current and past cases:

• We have been retained to represent victims of the R.M. Palmer Chocolate factory explosion in West Reading. One of our clients was making a delivery to the plant; moments later, the explosion occurred, and he was left lying under several feet of brick and rubble. Our client suffered severe burns and other traumatic injuries. A team of attorneys has filed suit on our client’s behalf. You can read more about this pending case here: https://www.galfandberger.com/news_releases/files-suit-chocolate-factory-explosion/.
• Senior Partner Richard Jurewicz was counsel in a $36 million recovery for victims of a fatal workplace explosion. The accident occurred when a large steel-producing machine exploded, killing one worker and causing severe burn injuries to two others. You can read more about this recovery at: https://www.galfandberger.com/verdicts/products-liability/36-million-recovery-fatal-workplace-explosion/.
• Our firm recovered $4 million for a client who suffered a severe burn injury after a work lamp exploded.  Read more here: https://www.galfandberger.com/verdicts/products-liability/4-million-recovered-workplace-burn-injury/.
• A laborer suffered injuries due to an explosion that resulted from a leak in a natural gas pipe near the area where he was working. Our client sustained injuries to his shoulder and arm, causing him to undergo three surgeries. Managing Partner Michael Malvey handled the matter, settling it before trial for $800,000.00. You can learn more about this case at: https://www.galfandberger.com/verdicts/workers-compensation/800000-settlement-for-natural-gas-explosion-injuries/.

If you would like to speak with a member of our team about filing a Workers’ Compensation or products liability claim for injuries you sustained, we can help. Contact a representative online now.

Philadelphia Products Liability Attorneys at Galfand Berger, LLP, Representing Injured Victims Since 1947

Contact the Philadelphia products liability attorneys at Galfand Berger LLP today. Call us at 800-222-USWA (8792) or fill out our online form for a free consultation. Located in Philadelphia, Bethlehem, Lancaster, and Reading, we serve clients throughout New Jersey and Pennsylvania, including Allentown and Harrisburg.