A Milwaukee sanitation worker was hospitalized July 15 following the explosion of improperly disposed oxygen tanks in a garbage truck.
The tanks were disposed of near 9th Street and Abert Place; the explosion occurred during the truck’s compacting process.
Department of Public Works Marketing and Communications Officer Tiffany Shepherd said the explosion caused an injury to the worker’s eye.
“It could have been a lot worse for his eye if he wasn’t wearing safety glasses,” Shepherd said.
Shepherd said propane tanks and batteries also cause safety hazards, and she encouraged community members to be mindful of disposal rules – along with the risks of improper disposal.
Propane tanks can be taken to city drop-off centers, but oxygen tanks must be picked up by manufacturers or the medical company that supplied them.
A similar explosion occurred in Milwaukee two years ago, but no one was hurt, Shepherd said.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Oxygen tank explodes in Milwaukee garbage truck, hospitalizing worker
Reporting by Elena Metinidis, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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By Elena Metinidis, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel | USA TODAY Network
