In 2016 there were 88 fatal injuries caused by fires and explosions in the workplace, in the U.S. This number doesn’t account for the thousands of others who suffered life-altering injuries due to this situation.
In most cases, workplace explosions occur in work environments where there are hazardous substances, such as open flames, gas storage tanks and explosives. These substances are common in workplaces such as mines, oil refineries, construction sites and manufacturing facilities.
Regardless of the environment, if a person ever has an explosion accident injury, they may need to find out about the types of injuries they may suffer.
In most cases, workplace explosions can be put into one of four categories:
- Primary
- Secondary
- Tertiary
- Quaternary
In this instance, the categories range from the most severe to the least severe injuries. Prior to being treated, your injuries have to be classified and the extent of the damage has to be determined.
Learn more about the four classifications of explosion related injuries here.
Primary Blast Injuries
A primary blast injury occurs in workplace explosions that inflict pressure on a person’s bodily tissues. In most cases, these types of injuries affect certain areas of the body, such as the ears, lungs and the gastrointestinal tract.
These are the areas that are most susceptible to a primary blast injury because of the presence of air, which is often compressed by the pressure generated during the explosion.
Secondary Blast Injuries
This type of injury occurs when a person is struck by debris or other objects from the explosion. A secondary blast injury can be caused by any type of object, including shrapnel, furniture and equipment. Similar to the primary blast injuries, these occur with the victims who are closest to the actual explosion.
Tertiary and Quaternary Injuries
A tertiary blast injury occurs if a person is lifted off of the ground during an explosion. This can result in a severe injury, as the person’s body is often trust to the ground, or into a nearby object with extreme force.
The quaternary blast injuries are the remainder of injuries that may occur due…
