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Firefighters from three departments responded to a call at the Black Dog Power Plant in Burnsville at about 7:30 this morning when workers discovered a fire in a coal bin. Just after 8:00 a.m., there was an explosion that blew off the side of one of the plant’s buildings.KSTP reports that no Xcel Energy workers were injured, but three firefighters suffered minor injuries while fighting the fire.
Obviously, any of the firefighters injured while fighting this fire are entitled to workers’ compensation for their injuries. I’m just grateful to read that no one was seriously injured or killed. It doesn’t appear that the cause of the fire and explosion has been made public yet.
The dangers associated with fires and explosions are tremendous. According to the Bureau of Labor fires and explosions accounted for 3% of workplace fatalities in 2007.
More than half of the electricity generated in the United States comes from coal. For the foreseeable future, coal will continue to be the dominant fuel used for electric power production.
Coal-based energy production poses specific dangers to workers, specifically the risk of coal dust explosion. Particle sizes of coal which can fuel a propagating explosion occur within thermal dryers, cyclones, baghouses, pulverized-fuel systems, grinding mills, and other process or conveyance equipment.
If you or a loved one sustained injuries as the result of a power plant fire or explosion in Minnesota, you may be entitled to workers’ compensation benefits. For a free, no-obligation consultation to learn about your rights, contact us at Meuser & Associates at 877-746-5680 or click here to send us an email to speak with one of our Minnesota workers’ compensation lawyers.
