Watch: Garbage truck explosion is 'close call' for Ohio trash crew

WHITEHALL, Ohio - Two Ohio sanitation workers escaped serious injury from an explosion in the back of a garbage truck this week. 

The dramatic blast and its aftermath was caught on camera. Footage shows the two-man crew emptying blue waste bins into the back of their truck in Whitehall, outside Columbus. Just as one of the workers steps back, a large explosion rattles the truck and sends trash flying.

The quick-thinking workers – their ears still ringing – grab a fire extinguisher and call 911 as startled residents come to see what had happened.

"It blew my headphones out of my [censored] ear," one of the workers can be heard saying. 

"That scared the [censored] out of me," the other agrees.

What we know:

Investigators say the explosion was the result of an oxygen tank improperly discarded in the trash. Oxygen is notoriously flammable and those tanks should not be thrown in municipal waste bins.

What we don't know:

Who put the tank there, and how long it had been in the back of the truck. Whitehall police are investigating.

What they're saying:

"Super fortunate," Ryan Jensen of Local Waste Services told FOX 28. "A couple inches there would've been serious injuries or fatality."

"Definitely illegal, and definitely dangerous," agreed Whitehall police Lt. Tanner Williams.

What you can do:

Dispose of your trash properly. While rules and regulations vary by each city and town, items that are generally considered too hazardous for curbside trash pickup include:

• Aerosol cans
• Ammunition and explosives
• Appliances
• Asbestos
• Batteries
• Containers over 5 gallons
• Needles, pharmaceuticals, and medical waste
• Paint cans
• Radioactive items
• Tires