Aluminium dust is a hazard that our industry deals with on a daily basis. Here is a story that occurred on the week of November 25, 2012 in the China.
A dust explosion in a factory in the Shenzhen providence of China burned seven workers. The workers were taken to a nearby hospital for treatment. Four of the workers were diagnosed with severe burns, according to the local Chinese-language media.
A dense cloud of aluminium dust encountered static electricity, causing the explosion in a 15 square meter are in a workshop of the three story factory.
"It felt like the whole factory was shaking when the explosion happened around 10:40 AM" an unidentified worker said. "The explosion also set fire to some components"
The worker said the explosion was so loud that he briefly lost his hearing.
The factory was punished earlier this year for failing to meet production safety standards. Local government officials have admitted loopholes in supervising the factory.
The local government has pledged to check production safety across the district in a sweep that will last until February 2013.
Does your facility have a process of identifying areas where aluminium dust/fines accumulate?
Does your facility have a process of collecting aluminium dust/fines in those areas?
There are several documents that cover handling aluminium fines. The Aluminium Association (AA) in the United States has taken a leadership role in safety in our industry. For which they should be commended. The Aluminium Association has a document dealing with the safe handling of aluminium dust and fines. It can be found here:
The Occupational Health Safety Administration (OSHA) has this document of aluminium dust. It can be found here:
Please comment:
Hi, thanks for this article.
ReplyDeleteMy father was burned in such accident, he was burned at 2/3 of his body. Face reconstruction was required, 4 year at the hospital and 45 years of exclusion and shame.
This kind of accident don't destroy only your life but has a great impact in a lot of people that surrounds you.
Thank you for your comments and your experiences. Sometimes safety is personal, not in terms of "protecting myself". But in terms of "I remember what happened to...". For you, it's your father's injuries that are the basis of who you are. My condolences for the injuries and shame your father suffered through.
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