Severe burns

Worker doused by bitumen heated to 180 degrees

On Tuesday, a 40-year-old man in Enns (Upper Austria) suffered extremely painful burns when hot bitumen was poured on him. The liquid mass poured onto his trousers and into his shoes for as yet unexplained reasons. After receiving emergency medical treatment, the worker had to be treated at the accident hospital in Linz.

The 40-year-old from Sieghartskirchen (Lower Austria) had been filling hot bitumen from his truck tanker at a company in Enns at around 1.30 p.m. on Tuesday. When he closed the hose of the tanker at the end of the refueling process, he was suddenly doused with liquid bitumen at a temperature of 180 degrees. It is still unclear exactly how the dangerous and very painful accident could have happened.

Six percent burnt
Fortunately, the safety trousers protected the man from more extensive burns, but bitumen also flowed into his shoes. The 40-year-old suffered second-degree burns to his feet.

Apparently six percent of his body surface was affected. After receiving emergency first aid, the worker was taken by ambulance to the accident hospital in Linz.