Incidents involving auminium fine fires
and explosions are no longer rare events. Is that due to the proliferation of
the online news media? Or could it be because these instances are arising
because of the growth of our industry. The Aluminium Plant Safety Blog feels it
is a combination of the both, the growth of our industry and the internet that
makes local incidents become international stories. Nevertheless, there are
still aluminium plants which fail to acknowledge the hazard involved in the
accumulation of aluminium fines in their facilities. Here is a recent incident
reinforcing the importance of aluminium dust/fine safety.
An explosion in a screening room at
the Aluminium Powder Company (Alpoco) during the early hours one morning during
the week of June 7, 2015 resulted in a section of the A55 highway in England being closed for a
short time.
Fire and smoke were seen from nearby
at 3.29am. The fire was brought under control by 5.21am. The
emergency services were concerned of the risk of further explosions so the A55
was closed for a short time between.
Multiple
agencies attended the site and, after safety checks, it was declared safe and
roads were reopened, a police spokesman said.
A
rapid response car and an ambulance were sent to the scene, but no-one was
injured and so weren’t required.
A
nearby resident that lives less than two kilometers away from the Alpoco site
said “It woke myself and my wife up. The windows shook, it was quite
frightening.
“I
thought it was an earthquake at first.
“There
was no damage but it certainly woke me up, I thought it might have been a plane
breaking the sound barrier, it sounded like a sonic boom.”
The
site remains closed but is expected to reopen sometime later today.
Alpoco
produces aluminium powder, which is used in pastes, pigments, chemicals,
metallurgy, refractory, propulsion, pyrotechnics, spray deposition and powder
metallurgy.
As
yet the Health and Safety Executive has not been informed of this incident. The
company has 10 days to report an incident.
The
Aluminium Plant Safety Blog is grateful that no one at this facility nor the emergency
responders were injured in this explosions and fire. Because there were no
injuries the APSB chose to the name the company in this post. If there were
injuries or fatalities the company name and location would have been omitted.
Incidents
involving aluminium fines have to be taken seriously. From recent catastrophes
the spotlight has been shined upon this hazard. Many government safety
organizations are now looking upon enacting regulations and oversight where
before there were none. The vast majority of the plants in our industry successfully
mitigate this hazard on a daily basis.
The
Aluminium Times magazine had two articles about aluminium fine hazards.
The
Aluminium Association (USA) has a great document; Guidelines for Handling
Aluminum Fines dealing with the best safety practices. Which can be found here.
Please comment.
I have always found your reports interesting and enlightening. Furthermore, I am convinced that they do help companies and their staff to promote a greater awareness of the risks in our industry. However, sometimes, you do make errors in your reports and some are rather silly. I refer to the recent report on the explosion at the Aluminium Powder Company (Alpoco) in Holyhead, UK on June 7th which resulted in the temporary closure of the A55 road which you stated was in 'England'. I am not sure how your reporter managed this amazing geographical feat when Holyhead is about as far west you can get in WALES. it is actually closer to Ireland than it is to England! I am sure it was an unintended mistake but, regrettably, your report has become a bit of a joke.
ReplyDeleteThanks David for your comments. We hope that our work helps in assisting companies and their staff in promoting safety. Because as we have posted in the past, overtime editing this blog has become an emotional rollercoaster for us. Though we do not post (normally) emotionally charged quotes. We still read them. We see the videos of loved ones talking about their loss, or the workers who talk about the lasting emotional effect an injury has on their life. We acknowledge that our feelings do not compare to the sorrow, grief, and uncontrolable pain one feels when a loved one, friend, coworker is killed in a workplace accident. But editing this blog has become a challenge emotionally to say the least. Our goal is that by making awareness of the incidents will prevent recurrence.
ReplyDeleteRegarding geography, we have to laugh. The stories we could tell. From getting on wrong airplanes (once), wrong buses (many times), wrong trains you would soon realize that a trip with the APSB editors is more of a quest than a journey.
Thanks again for the comments!