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Cleon Wall and AP reporting A man who survived an explosion at a Utah County pipe factory says he wants to return to his job.
Tim Beardall spoke to reporters Monday, eight days after a blast at Pacific States Cast Iron Pipe Co. in Springville.
Beardall's hands were still bandaged from burns. But he can leave University of Utah Hospital whenever he's ready. "It's just been a positive experience for me, all except the big boom, but I've learned a lot from everybody," he said.
Beardall says he doesn't remember much about the explosion, although he wonders how anything with a heartbeat could have survived. The blast was heard for miles and injured 10 other workers.
Factory managers say water came in contact with calcium carbide, a volatile mix. Beardall's wife, LaDonna, wants him to work in the office. "I wish he wouldn't go back. I told him he had to take a desk job," she said.
However, Beardall says he's a blue-collar guy.
Hospital staff says he can leave when he's ready.
(The Associated Press contributed to this report. Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
