According to an article posted on NJ.com, six U.S. Ink plant workers were injured on Tuesday, October 9, 2012 when a chemical reaction caused an explosion at the East Rutherford, New Jersey facility. An update, also posted on NJ.com, indicated that seven workers were in fact injured in the fire. Two of the injured workers were taken to the St. Barnabas burn center in Livingston, New Jersey while the five others were transported to Hackensack University Medical Center, where they are currently in fair condition.
The U.S. Ink employees had been working with a chemical used in the production of newspaper ink. According to an article in the Sacramento Bee, the workers had been mixing newspaper ink in a vat when a carbon compound ignited, causing an explosion and flash fire. The workers tried to put out the fire but couldn’t. Firefighters that arrived on the scene contained and eventually extinguished the blaze.
The chemical explosion covered the workers in a black, carbon-based, powdery substance. Before being transported to the hospital, burn injury victims were decontaminated by washing in a mix of light detergent and water.
An investigation into the cause of the explosion is still ongoing. If the cause is determined to have been an equipment malfunction, negligence on the part of a manager or supervisor, failures in a company’s policies or a defective product, the injured workers may be entitled to file civil suits against the negligent third parties.
If you have suffered burn injuries as the result of an on-the-job accident, the experienced New Jersey workplace burn injury attorneys at Blume Forte can help you determine whether your potential claim may have merit. For a no-cost consultation, call us at 973-845-4421.