Legal News for Illinois Employment Attorneys. An employee was killed in a workplace explosion outside a Westmont, Illinois muffler shop.

News for Illinois employment lawyers- OSHA officials are expected to probe a fatal workplace accident, in which an employee was killed in a explosion outside a Westmont, Illinois auto shop.

Westmont, IL—An auto shop employee suffered fatal injuries in a workplace explosion on Monday, April 19, 2010. The deadly blast occurred in Westmont, Illinois and shook neighboring businesses, according to information provided by MyFoxChicago.com.

Reports from the DuPage County Coroner’s office stated a Midas Auto Services welder was working outside the auto shop, located at 401 W. Ogden Avenue, when the “welding sparks ignited residual chemical vapors in a 55-gallon barrel”, causing an explosion to occur. The blast forced debris through the air, consequently striking the unidentified 28-year-old worker. The man suffered severe injuries, which he succumbed to at the scene.

Emergency medical services (EMS) personnel from Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital were dispatched to the scene at 9:49 a.m. and reportedly pronounced the employee deceased at 10:06 a.m. No other employees or customers suffered any injuries in the workplace accident. Also, the explosion did not cause any structural damage to the Midas Auto Services building.

According to data provided by the United States Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) http://www.bls.gov, there were 5,840 employment-related fatalities recorded in 2006, while three percent of all workplace fatalities record in 2007 were caused by fires and/or explosions.

Authorities from the Westmont Police Department are investigating the explosion. Officials from the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) are also expected to conduct a probe into the deadly workplace accident.

Legal News Reporter: Sandra Quinlan- Legal News for Illinois Employment Lawyers.