Man suffers serious injuries after oxygen cylinder explodes in Dayton

DAYTON — A man was taken to an area hospital with serious injuries after an oxygen tank that he was working on exploded, according to Dayton police.

>>Deadline to renew licenses, IDs and vehicle registrations that expired during pandemic looms

The explosion was reported around 9:30 a.m. Tuesday in the 300 block of Troy Street.

The man, who was not identified, was taken to an area hospital for treatment of injuries described as serious, Dayton police Lt. Jason Hall said.

The initial investigation found the man, who was working with scrap metal, was using a grinder on an oxygen cylinder when the oxygen exploded, Hall said. The man was working outside an apartment building and damage was only limited to parts of a sidewalk.

“Any mechanical action on a pressurized cylinder, is a very dangerous thing to do,” Hall said.

He added that with the combination of high-pressured gasses, sparks from the grinder, and with oxygen being inside the cylinder, there was a possibility for the container to explode.

The explosion prompted a response from the Dayton Police Bomb Squad but the incident will be investigated by the Dayton Fire Department. Investigators are classifying the incident as an accident.

Additional details were not available. We’ll update this story as we learn more.

©2021 Cox Media Group