Explosion at Chemical Warehouse Covers Workers in Yellow Chemical
An explosion in Opa-Locka at the American Vinyl Company has taken the life of one and injured others. The explosion happened at a warehouse located at 2410 N.W. 147 St. on Thursday afternoon.
According to police hazmat crews, a storage container in the building that holds 20,000 gallons of liquid inexplicably exploded. The storage container for the chemical blew a hole in the roof of the building. Miami-Dade Fire Rescue spokesperson Arnold Piedrahita said, “If it over-pressurizes and some sort of reaction occurs, a chemical reaction, within the tank, and there’s no outlet for that pressure to be released, it can very easily cause an explosion. As you can see, it blew through the roof.”
One person was killed and five other employees were injured in the blast. Two of the injured workers reported having difficulty breathing and were transported to an area hospital.Crews at the plant are currently uncertain if the man was killed in the accident died as a result of the explosion’s initial impact or if the storage container landed on him and crushed him beneath. An investigation is ongoing.
The hazmat team arrived on the scene to find employees covered in a yellow liquid. Investigators have not yet determined what the liquid is. “We see chemical spills; that’s a common occurrence, but something of this nature where a large chemical tank explodes through the roof of a warehouse, that’s not something that we get every day,” Piedrahita said.
Every job holds the potential for an on-the-job accident to happen. Even if you work in a low risk career, accidents can happen from falls, exposure to chemicals and solvents and even the careless actions of others who come in to and go out of your place of business.
When you are injured on the job, you may be able to collect financial damages for a workplace or on-the job injury or accident. Keep an accurate record of everything that pertains to your personal injury case. Be sure to keep accurate and detailed records of the following:
- The time or number of days you are off the job.
- Records of all medical treatments including dates, names of physicians, out of pocket costs or those that you turn in to your insurance company.
- A record of all of the mileage you have travelled both to and from your medical treatments.
- All receipts for any and all out-of-pocket prescription costs and other related medical expenses and costs that you incur as a result of your on-the-job injuries.
If you or a loved one has suffered injury on the job or even been killed in a workplace accident, call us today. Our attorneys have successfully represented clients in the Miami Dade area for many years. We are focused on getting you the highest level of compensation possible for your injuries, as well as all expenses lost wages, workman’s compensation, pain and suffering and wrongful death.