GSA's Exploding Toilet Led to Potty Talk Via Email

By Edward Tan, JD on April 19, 2012 | Last updated on March 21, 2019

The General Services Administration continues to piece together the reasons behind the erupting johns that injured two employees in Washington, DC. However, new insights behind the GSA's exploding toilets have emerged.

Leaked emails exchanged between GSA workers indicate some feared doing the most necessary of acts. "I am scared to pee" was the subject of one employee's email.

The GSA has been pretty hush about the exploding toilets so far, but internal memos show some cause for concern.

One memo told employees not to flush toilets or use any domestic water. Probably not something you want to hear when you have to go number two.

The explosion might have been caused by old plumbing and human error, MuckRock reports. Property management found the toilet's waterlines were dry after the explosion. And flushing resulted in "loud and startling sounds" followed by water erupting from the bowl.

No word yet on the current conditions of the two injured GSA employees. While no lawsuits have been filed so far, these new details could indicate that potential legal action might not be far off.

Readers may remember that we blogged about the issue of proving liability in this case before. The problem at the time was determining who was responsible, the toilet's manufacturer or the building's owner.

Based on these new facts, it's looking more and more likely that the blame might very well fall on the building's owners and managers.

That's because the injured GSA employees would likely qualify as business invitees. As such, they're owed a legal duty by the property's owners to repair and make the building safe.

Since details are sparse, it's still too early to draw any definite conclusions regarding the GSA's exploding toilet incident. But to be safe, employees might want to think about holding it in if they can.

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