Aerosol Cans – Important Safety Tips And Information
Aerosol cans are more dangerous than you may think. Go ahead, just Google some videos of cans being ignited by fire, and you will see that it is not something to play around with. A little more than a year ago, Alan Rombkowski and Tyler Hellwig were at a friend’s house enjoying a small country fire when an explosion took place. Someone had carelessly left an aerosol can out in the yard near the fire. As the night went on and the can gathered heat, the pressure built up in the can, causing it to explode. Both boys, who were finishing up their junior year of high school, were taken by LifeFlight to Mercy St. Vincent Hospital. The helicopter pilot told them that they were lucky to be alive. With burns to their face, arms and legs, Alan and Tyler had a long recovery ahead of them.
Although not done maliciously, if proper safety precautions had been taken that day, this accident would have been completely preventable. People often underestimate the true danger aerosol cans pose. The sound of the explosion alone is enough to break eardrums. They can ignite from a distance, if left outside they can become soft and easier to blow up, and when they explode, they can send shrapnel with enough force to seriously injure or kill a person. While Alan and Tyler were in the hospital, there was another aerosol can burn victim recovering in the hospital as well. He had thrown a can into a burn barrel not realizing how dangerous it was. The can exploded, and the man received very severe burns to his legs. Another man in the area recently caught fire as he was standing by a grill and was applying sunscreen from an aerosol can. No matter what people say, playing with aerosol cans is not worth the risk.
More than a year later, the boys have recovered from their accident and have both graduated high school. Alan graduated from Penta Career Center/Maumee High School where he studied law enforcement and is headed to Finger Lakes College in the fall to play baseball and major in conservation law. Tyler graduated from Woodmore High School and is going to Ohio State University’s Wooster campus where he will be majoring in agricultural science. These boys are lucky, and show that that the dangers of aerosol cans should not be taken lightly. Please follow all safety precautions when dealing with them and never allow them to be anywhere near extreme heat or fire. If you would like to see Alan’s interview about the incident check out http://abclocal.go.com/kfsn/video?id=8121851&pid=8121850.
If you have been injured in a similar manner, you need help. Call Charles E. Boyk Law Offices, LLC to schedule a free consultation and speak with a lawyer today!