[17th Miss Regt]

The complaint alleges Perez, a truck driver transporting hydrogen gas, reported a gas leak to dispatch before arriving at the facility. Rather than being instructed to stop, the lawsuit claims workers told him to continue driving the transport vehicle to a Colton yard. ...

The lawsuit alleges Perez’s death was the result of negligence and claims the companies involved failed to warn him about what attorneys describe as “significant problems” involving hazardous hydrogen gas leaks in compressed hydrogen cylinders mounted to transport trailers.

It sounds like he was aware enough to report the leak, but the company made a bet that it would not be a problem. They lost.

[know.your.why]

I wonder how many Lawyers lined up for this...

THE BENEFIT OF GOING TO LAW, by: Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790)

TWO beggars traveling along,
One blind, the other lame.
Pick'd up an oyster on the way,
To which they both laid claim:

The matter rose so high, that they
Resolv'd to go to law,
As often richer fools have done,
Who quarrel for a straw.

A lawyer took it straight in hand,
Who knew his business was
To mind nor one nor t'other side,
But make the best o' the cause,

As always in the law's the case;
So he his judgment gave,
And lawyer-like he thus resolv'd
What each of them should have;

Blind plaintif, lame defendant, share
The friendly laws impartial care,
A shell for him, a shell for thee,
The middle is the lawyer's fee.

[catnipman]

compressed hydrogen is EXTREMELY DANGEROUS: EXTREMELY CORROSIVE and EXTREMELY EXPLOSIVE, mmmmmkay ...

[zeestephen]

Because hydrogen is the smallest element on the Periodic Table, leaks are very common, in every venue.

I will guess that an expert decided the leak was tolerable, based on past experience.

[NonValueAdded]

IIRC, there was an old story about firefighters using a broom to detect a hydrogen fire, which is basically invisible. they had them waving the broom along the sides of a hydrogen tanker.

Sounds like the best use of the broom would be to fly away as quickly as possible.

[trebb]

I couldn’t find any data on whether or not the family was/is here legally - perhaps he had to ignore the danger because the company “owned” him.