A construction accident injured five construction workers — one of them critically — on a recent Wednesday morning, officials said. The accident, which involved an explosion, occurred in Bayonne at a former Military Ocean Terminal, according to police. When New Jersey workers are injured in construction accidents, they typically have the right to file for workers’ compensation.
The construction workers were in the process of conducting what police called a “pressure test” on a gas line around 9 a.m. when the explosion occurred. A contractor working for PSE&G installed a replacement gas main and was in the process of testing it with air at the time of the incident. However, no gas was present in the main when the incident occurred, officials said.
Bayonne police have corroborated that account, saying that it was the gas line that failed during the pressurized air test and that there is no imminent danger of either a gas leak or any other additional risks. Three workers were rushed to local medical centers — one was in critical condition, another in serious condition and a third received treatment for minor injuries, police said. Two police officers that were at the scene when the explosion occurred were taken to one of the medical centers and both were listed in stable condition.
Officials for the company that employed the workers said that the exact cause of the explosion will be investigated further. Meanwhile, some of the workers and the police officers may be spending a considerable amount of time in the hospital recuperating from their injuries. In order to help pay for their hospital stay, as well as other financial setbacks incurred as a result of the incident — including lost pay — the workers may choose to consult an experienced New Jersey workers’ compensation attorney to assist them with the processing of their respective workers’ compensation claims.
Source: nj.com, “5 taken to hospitals — 1 critical — in Bayonne explosion: police“, Jonathan Lin, March 30, 2016