Furnace Fire - Natural Gas = No Fire

The Aluminium Plant Safety Blog has posted previously about the importance of providing tours to local fire departments on a semi-annual basis. These tours ensure that the fire department personnel are familiar with the layout and location of hazards within the aluminium plant. That knowledge will assist in the future if they are ever called to respond to an incident. Here is a story that reinforces the need of making sure that the local fire department are aware of the hazards in your facility.

A fire broke out one morning during the week of January 12, 2014, around 8:45 in the morning, in a furnace of the company La Compagnie Alpine d'Aluminium in France.

Firefighters sent a first level of men on hand to extinguish the fire. The fire at furnace, which serves to manufacture the aluminum plates was stopped by stopping the gas supply.

The damage is limited and the operation of the plant should be able to resume without technical unemployment tomorrow morning.

All too many times plant personal get in trouble by waiting too long to call for help from the local emergency management services. The APSB would like to commend La Compagnie Alpine d'Aluminium on acknowledging early the need to call the local fire department to respond to the furnace fire. The firefighters in coordination with plant personnel were able to shut off the gas to the furnace which was ablaze. No injuries resulted in the process.

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