Oceanside Man Severely Burned in Construction Accident

An Oceanside construction worker suffered serious burn injuries yesterday when a can filled with gasoline exploded as he was attempting to fill the tank of a chainsaw. According to reports, the 35-year-old worker suffered severe burns over 50% of his legs and was taken by helicopter to UCSD Medical Center.

The incident occurred at Martin Luther King Jr. Park on Mesa Drive where a construction crew is building a skate park. It appears that fumes from the chainsaw ignited fumes coming from the gas can. Cal-OSHA is investigating.

Safely filling a chainsaw usually requires using an approved container, depending the brand of the saw. Such a container would limit the amount of fumes or spillage that could occur when filling the tank, thus limiting the chance of ignition. That is a questions OSHA will no doubt answer.

Walton Law Firm LLP has represented burn victims in product liability cases involving explosion, the most recent involving an accident where a propane tank exploded during refilling. Burn injuries, of course, are some of the most serious and damaging injures a human can experience, and require extensive and long-term medical care.