An International Wax plant in Smethport, Pa reportedly exploded on Monday, leaving a worker injured. Following the explosion, the employee was reportedly treated for injuries at a local hospital and then released. Whenever a workplace explosion occurs, authorities must conduct a thorough investigation.
The explosion was so large that it significantly damaged a filter house, destroyed another building, and moderately damaged five other buildings. It is remarkable that only one employee out of the roughly 130 that work at the plant was injured. In this case, the explosion investigation evidence suggested that it was simply an accident.
When a Pennsylvania employee is injured at work, he or she has the ability to file a claim for workers’ compensation. In exchange for this right, workers give up the ability to hold their employer liable in a court of law. It is therefore important for an injured worker to understand their rights within the process of workers compensation and to understand how to exercise those rights so that they receive the compensation that is due to them.
The law protects the injured workers’ right to report a work injury and seek workers’ compensation benefits without retaliation by the employer. If an employer attemps to retaliate against an employee for seeking workers’ compensation benefits, then an experienced workers compensation attorney can help an injured worker obtain everything that he is entitled to under the law.
Olean Times Herald, “International Wax fire ruled accidental,” Colin Deppen, May 7, 2014.
Source: https://www.oleantimesherald.com/news/article_77b6558e-d61e-11e3-959a-0019bb2963f4.html