Explosions on the job can cause heartache in Louisiana

Louisiana workers depend on their employers to maintain safe, effective workplaces. When negligence or inattention causes the workplace to deteriorate, workers can become injured. Recently, one Louisiana worker has felt the dangerous effects of an improperly maintained workplace after a boiler exploded, injuring him. Explosions like this one may be avoidable with the right maintenance and care to the machinery.

The investigation is ongoing, but authorities do believe that the explosion at the University of Louisiana at Monroe campus was caused by a bad boiler system. Reports state that a maintenance worker was lighting the boiler used to heat Stubbs Hall when residual gas ignited, causing burns to his face and hands. The worker was taken to a local hospital for treatment and is now recovering from his injuries at home.

ULM had received a citation for a violation of the boiler system in Oct. 2011. Along with the citation, ULM was required to update the certificate on the system and correct the found deficiencies. Investigators found that the last certificate on the system was dated Sept. 2011, leading investigators to believe that the deficiencies found by Traveler’s Insurance were not corrected. Authorities state that no action has been taken against ULM, and the investigation is ongoing.

The maintenance worker injured in this explosion may be relieved to have walked away with his life. Explosions are often deadly, and can set off unfortunate chain-reactions. As this worker recovers from his injuries, he may decide to file a workers’ compensation claim to help cover the expenses associated with this explosion. Such a claim can help provide him and his family with much needed financial assistance while he is unable to return to work and focused on recovering. It is unfortunate when anyone is injured on the job, though there is financial help available through Louisiana’s workers’ compensation laws.

Source: thenewsstar.com, “ULM explosion blamed on bad boiler,” Sarah Eddington, Jan. 4, 2013