UNITED STATES
DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

At 3:30 p.m. on December 30, 2021, an employee refilled a 500-gallon propane sto rage tank with with 415 gallons of LP-Gas. The employer was unable to determined if a leak check was performed after the fill. The employee entered the garage t o light the pilot light but could not get it to ignite. The employee called a co worker (Service Manager) who instructed the employee to remove the drip cap and purge the line for a couple of minutes. The employee did as he was instructed, b ut he was located inside a building that had no ventilation where the purged gas was released. After the first attempt to ignite the the pilot light and after i t would not light, the employee purged the line a second time letting the gas fl ow for approximately 2 more minutes. The employee next used a small handheld pro pane torch in an attempt to get the pilot light lit. As soon as he hit the ignit er, a large explosion occurred. The two west and south walls were displaced from the structure under the roof and the two metal garage doors were blown approxim ately 70 feet away to the edge of the highway. The employee was buried under she etrock near the furnace but was able to self-extricate himself and call for help . The employee incurred second degree burns to his hands and face and was transp orted by ambulance to the hospital, where he was transferred and admitted to a b urn unit.