A 58-year-old steamfitter working at an upstate New York wastewater treatment plant was killed by an accidental explosion, according to police and the man’s family. His on-the-job injuries were sustained during a fiery blast that occurred while he and another worker were welding a pipe inside a storage tank. The steamfitter suffered third-degree burns over most of his body, his mother said, and he died at a burn center in Boston. The other man was also injured in the incident, receiving burns on his arms and face, and was treated and released from a hospital in Syracuse.
Police and fire officials declined to provide details about the accident to reporters except to say that the man who had been killed was working there as a subcontractor for a company providing service to the sewage treatment plant. Officials added that it had been determined that the explosion was not a criminal act, but an accident. Most of the work being done in the village of Canastota to its wastewater facility had been completed, but a $35,000 project was added to replace digester gas piping, a construction company executive said. It was in this part of the project that the incident occurred.
The 58-year-old had been employed by the company for almost 30 years. Work at the site was halted temporarily while the construction manager met with engineers and village officials.
Work-related injuries can end a career or even a life. A New York workers’ compensation attorney may be able to assist those who have suffered on-the-job injuries. The attorney might be able to help ease the process of filing for workers’ compensation after an accident or illness.
Source: Syracuse.com, “Bernhards Bay man dies after suffering burns in ‘explosion’ at Canastota wastewater treatment plant“, Catie O’Toole, September 16, 2013
