Another Hard Worker Injured in a Water Treatment Plant Explosion

Fortunately for the million or so Chicago residents who depend on the Calumet Water Reclamation Plant for water, the explosion should not markedly interfere with their ability to get H20 from the tap. Unfortunately, and often the case, another hard-working person has been injured on the job.

Calumut Water Treatment Plant

On August 30, 2018, at about 11:00 a.m., Fire Commissioner Jose Santiago received a call about an explosion at the sludge concentration building at the Calumet Water Reclamation Plant in Chicago, Illinois. The roof of the building caved downwards in what is called a pancake explosion. Ten people were hurt in an explosion and building collapse—one of the victims was entombed for almost two hours. During the two-hour rescue, firefighters used airbags and hydraulics to lift thousands of pounds of concrete and other debris.  The trapped worker suffered fractures to his legs and face.

Workers were at the Calumet Water Reclamation Plant to do maintenance. According to reports, the explosion was caused by a worker’s torch that ignited methane gas. All of the injured workers were listed in “serious to critical condition as they were taken to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, the University of Chicago Medical Center, Stroger Hospital, and Northwestern Memorial Hospital.” The plant is the oldest of seven Metropolitan Water Reclamation District treatment centers, beginning operation in 1922.

What We Do at Morrow & Sheppard LLP

At Morrow and Sheppard LLP, we specialize in providing legal counsel to people who have been injured.  We represent people. Every day, we get calls from hard-working men and women who are injured on the job, car wrecks, home explosions, offshore, at drilling/well sites, on ships and platforms, and everywhere in-between. We hear their stories and sense of their pain and worry. Often times, the primary concern of the people who call us are how they will provide for their family, getting healthy as possible, and getting back to work. The attorneys at Morrow & Sheppard LLP want to hear your story—call us anytime!

Contact Morrow & Sheppard 24/7

If you were injured, we encourage you to contact us for a free, no-obligation consultation about your legal rights. To speak with one of our experienced industrial injury lawyers in confidence, call our Houston law offices at (800) 489-2216 or request an appointment online today.