Injury Types Caused By Propane Explosions
Propane and natural gas have extremely high-temperature burn rates. Even a few of the consumer-level gas torches have the ability to burn at more than 1900 degrees F.
With these figures in mind, when an explosion occurs, the large areas that these blasts cover can result in several injuries to the individuals that are anywhere close by.
The common burn injuries caused by these accidents include:
– Internal injuries
– Lung damage
– Brain damage
– Skin damage
– Concussion
– Damages to the eye
– Spinal cord injuries
– And more
Surviving a natural or propane gas explosion is often quite rare, yet when these injuries do occur, instant medical attention is typically a requirement.
Causes Of Propane And Natural Gas Explosions At Home
As you might expect, the more common source for personal injuries caused by natural or propane gas in the home is from a cylinder that fuels cooktops and barbeques outdoors and inside the home.
A few of the common causes often relate to:
– A gas cooktop that was incorrectly installed
– Split pipes that lead to a water heater
– Defective connectors and control valves
– Leaking and perished hoses
– Underground main leaks
Even though there is a safety mechanism built into most natural and propane gas devices and delivery systems, these do fail from time to time. When considering this, you must regularly check on your pipes, fittings, and valves.
Preventative Ideas And Tips
Making sure that you correctly maintain and monitor equipment that makes use of natural or propane gas is the ideal place to begin in order to prevent gas explosions from occurring. By monitoring the condition of the pipes, valves, clamps, and hoses, this will ensure that any issue is detected, and that they are discovered before they have the potential to result in a disaster.
Another prevention tip includes moving any items that are stored outdoors to a place where they are covered. Barbeques that are kept outdoors are frequently forgotten and then left exposed to the elements, which exposes the cylinder that contains the gas to these elements.
Many tanks connect to a burner through clamps and a basic rubber hose, and both these elements can perish relatively quickly. So make sure you care for them, and when required have them repaired when they need fixing by an authorized dealer.
Gas Explosion Lawyers
Gas explosions have the potential to result in significant property damages, or serious injuries and even death. In the year 1937, a school accident involving a gas explosion ended up killing 300 children in New London, Texas. The natural gas had accumulated inside the building. When one of the teachers started up a saw, the spark that threw off from the saw resulted in an explosion. Gas explosions often involve camping trailers, grills, mobile homes, live-in horse trailers, homes and more. In fact, not much is safe when it comes to these devastating accidents.
Explosions In Homes
Many years after the tragedy with the school occurred in New London, safety measures have since improved, yet accidents are still happening. In the year 2006, equipment involving home heating resulted in 64,100 fires in homes, 1,400 injuries, and 540 deaths. When a gas leak occurs, people can sustain injuries from inhaling the gas, inhaling the smoke or from an actual explosion. In many cases, gas explosions can be linked directly to a negligent gas company.
Just about all Americans use gas every day in order to heat their water, cook their food, or warm their homes. The more common causes of a gas explosion are due to a gas leak through a leaking hose, a defective gas connector or control valves, or a propane tank that is leaking. In many cases, a gas explosion occurs when:
– Cooking food that is left unattended, particularly on BBQ grills
– Combustible materials and tanks that have not been checked for a leak
– Not turning off a gas tank properly after use
– LPG tanks are near a campfire, a lit candle, lighter or matches
– Workmen that negligently re-connect a gas supply
