Explosive Combination' as Heater Ignites Vapors in Railcar in Kansas
Two workers in Kansas endured several weeks of skin graft surgery and physical therapy after suffering second-degree burns when gas vapors exploded in a railcar last December. Owned by GBW Railcar Services LLC of Cummings, the railcar was being prepared for cleaning when an electric heater ignited the flammable gas. Five other workers were injured and hospitalized. After the incident, Occupational Safety and Health Administration inspectors identified 11 serious safety violations and proposed penalties totaling $46,900. "Two employees suffered painful injuries that put them out of work for three months because GBW Railcar Services ignored worker safety," said Judy Freeman, OSHA's area director in Wichita. "Failing to eliminate potential ignition sources from areas where flammable substances were likely to be present proved an explosive combination."
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