An employee was hospitalized after he used a propane torch to thaw ice on a piece of work equipment.
Trent Sack suffered multiple arm, leg and vertebra fractures while using a propane torch to thaw ice from inside a mechanical foot at a BNI coal mine in Center, ND.
The torch went out, and gas leaked. The gas exploded after Sack moved the opening cover of the mechanical foot aside and oxygen rushed in, according to the Bismarck Tribune. No fire resulted from the explosion.
The company reported the incident to the Mine Safety and Health Administration, which conducted an investigation. No word on whether the company will be fined.