Incident at industrial plant leads to worker injury

There are many safeguards in place to protect workers in this country. In addition to laws assuring fair and equal treatment, there are standards in place to help prevent dangerous industrial accidents that could lead to serious injury or death. Because accidents could still occur despite these standards, states such as Maryland put additional measures in place, such as workers’ compensation benefits, to help victims of a worker injury. Two out-of-state workers will likely benefit from this coverage after a scary accident left them both with burns.

The accident occurred at Kobe Aluminum in April. Officials indicate that they received a call in the afternoon describing an explosion at the plant, While first responders did not find a fire when they arrived, they did find two men with burn injuries despite the required personal protective equipment they had been wearing. Both men were flown to a hospital for treatment. One has since been released while the other remains hospitalized in stable condition.

A representative for the company explains that the incident was likely not an explosion but a rapid expansion of molten aluminum that caused its container to pop. However, the incident is under investigation. Such investigations have the potential of preventing similar accidents in the future.

A worker injury such as this can have a significant financial impact on an employee and his or her family. Thanks to laws requiring workers’ compensation coverage, the men are likely entitled to compensation for their medical bills and lost wages. Unfortunately, the path to compensation is sometimes confusing and lengthy. Others have found knowledge of Maryland laws and processes helpful in ensuring that compensation is both timely and accurate.

Source: Bowling Green Daily News, “Two workers hurt in industrial accident“, Deborah Highland, April 23, 2014