Abstract: At approximately 11:30 a.m. on March 22, 1984, Employee #1, a helper, had been assigned by the production manager to make trash cans out of four or five empty 55 gallon drums, previously filled with hydraulic oil. He used a propane torch to burn out the tops of the drums. After completing the drums that had contained hydraulic oil, he proceeded to empty out a 55 gallon drum containing rain water. The foreman stated that, 4 or 5 months ago, the drums contained toluene; this was also stated on the top of the drum. Employee #1 proceeded to take the drum into the steel shop fabrication area and use the propane torch on the drum. The drum exploded (it did not rupture, it only bulged at the top), throwing him to the floor. The fumes, contacting the heat, could have caused the explosion. Employee #1 was dazed when thrown and sustained bruises to his back and legs. He was not trained or told about the procedures for cleaning a drum before burning. The drums had all previously contained combustible or flammable material.