Never Light A Match in a PORT-A-POTTY

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MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (AP) - A Pennsylvania man injured when a portable toilet exploded is suing a general contractor and a coal company for negligence.

John Jenkins, 53, and his wife Ramona Jenkins, 35, of Brave, Pa., filed the lawsuit in Monongalia County Circuit Court on Tuesday. They are suing Chisler Inc., a general contractor from Fairview, and Eastern Associated Coal Corp. for $10 million in damages.

The explosion occurred July 13, 2004, at Parrish Shaft in Blacksville. Jenkins, a North West Fuels Development Inc. methane power plant operator, entered a portable toilet, sat down and tried to light a cigarette.

"When I struck the lighter, the whole thing just detonated - the whole top blew off," John Jenkins said. "I can't tell you if it blew me out the door or if I jumped out."

The lawsuit says the cigarette ignited methane gas leaking from a pipe underneath the unit.

Eastern Associated Coal Corp. owns the property where the explosion occurred. Chisler Inc. ran over the pipelines with heavy equipment before the incident, causing the methane gas leak, Jenkins alleges.

The lawsuit also says there was no sign on the portable toilet warning that smoking, matches and open flames were forbidden.

Jenkins had severe burns on his face, neck, arms, torso and legs. He is permanently disfigured, the lawsuit says.

Eastern Associated Coal is a subsidiary of Peabody Energy. A call to that company's Charleston office was not immediately returned Thursday. A man who answered the phone at Chisler's office in Fairview said he was familiar with the lawsuit and the company would have no comment. He would not give his name.
HOT SEAT LINK HERE ! Bad Air

Shadowsilence · Posted: Thu, 02 Jun 2005 20:05:15 Post Subject:

That'll teach him not to light sh*t on fire.

jake_johnson · Posted: Thu, 02 Jun 2005 21:05:23 Post Subject:

way to go. he is 53 and his wife is 35. And he has a nice case on his hands. I envy this guy.

knight0334 · Posted: Thu, 02 Jun 2005 21:23:06 Post Subject:

I've been to those towns mentioned. lol Blacksville and Brave are Citizen Telecom and Alltel phone exchanges that I used to engineer. ....you'd think the smell of methane gas would had set an little light off in that guy's head. ....but most of the people in that area are quite dimwitted.

Dud3! · Posted: Thu, 02 Jun 2005 23:32:07 Post Subject:

That's so awesome, I wish I had seen it.

HackaX0rus · Posted: Fri, 03 Jun 2005 00:04:47 Post Subject:

lool reminds me of fireworks in the porta potty's...fun fun stuff.

Spire · Posted: Fri, 03 Jun 2005 01:35:17 Post Subject:

I work at an oil refinery... we make gasoline...

We one time had an instrument tech get doused in gasoline, this rarely happens, but it is possible.

This individual then decided that it was time for a smoke...

He entered what we call a smoke shack (a designated area for smoking, you CANNOT smoke anywhere near a refinery unless you are in a smoke shack)...

He lit up, if the small breeze wasnt in his favor, e would have been a torch, however, the gods smiled on him and provided the right air flow to prevent him from being another darwin award winner!!!!

T-shirt · Posted: Fri, 03 Jun 2005 08:04:00 Post Subject:

you would think a "methane power plant operator", might have learned a little about the danger of smoking around methane. Bad Air

HackaX0rus · Posted: Fri, 03 Jun 2005 17:08:25 Post Subject:

lool ya...what do you mean the gods were in his favor...why didnt he catch flames...or did he but they didnt burn long...elaborate on the story.

IceNine · Posted: Fri, 03 Jun 2005 17:14:08 Post Subject:

Apparently tried to burn the wrong log...