"About a week after the incident he went to see a doctor...." ???

In general our industry does a commendable job in mitigating the hazard of molten metal explosions. Nevertheless, molten metal explosions do occur with some regularity. Just look at the Aluminum Association’s Molten Metal Incident Reporting Program (can be viewed here). The Aluminium Plant Safety Blog only posts stories that were first reported by the news media. We do not post stories that we hear through the grapevine. Why? Because there are simply too many to report on. Which is understandable if you take into account how large our industry. No longer is our industry located in a few countries. With that said each plant’s emergency management plan should address what should occur following a molten metal explosion. Here is a recent story that the APSB found dumbfounding and hopes that the actions of this worker will never be repeated.

An aluminium company in the Pacific region during the week of August 16, 2015 has been fined over $30,000 and ordered to pay $15,000 in reparation after an explosion caused serious burns to an employee’s foot, and superficial burns to his left hand, arm, chest and head.

The aluminium casting and manufacturing company was sentenced in the District Court today after pleading guilty to a charge under the Health and Safety in Employment Act for failing to take all practicable steps to ensure the safety of an employee.

The employee worked in the foundry department which makes aluminium logs (i.e, billets). In the early morning of the incident he was working at the casting table where molten aluminium - which can reach temperatures in excess of 700°C - is poured into moulds and eventually made into five metre long logs. The employee heard a hissing sound which he went to investigate. As he prepared to prod the mould with a steel rod, an explosion occurred causing the burns.

The employee did not seek immediate medical attention. About a week after the incident he went to see a doctor and was referred to a plastic surgeon. He had skin graft surgery to his left foot and spent a week in hospital. He then started physiotherapy so he could be more mobile. Two months later, he was referred to his GP for further care.

“A combination of high temperatures, molten aluminium and water is inherently dangerous,” says the government safety department Chief Inspector. The aluminium company employees were also not properly trained, or monitored by the employer. If they had been, high-risk practices like leaning over a casting table of such high temperatures would not have occurred. They also didn’t have all the primary and secondary protective equipment that is available to keep employees safe.”

“All these factors make up a potent mix of risk and should have been properly managed.”

The Aluminium Plant Safety Blog hopes that the injured worker recovers fully from his physical and mental injuries. We acknowledge that it could be seen as insensitive when we stated that we were “dumbfounded” about the injured workers actions. What dumbfounded us was the delay in receiving medical care. Having never been burned by molten metal we can only rely upon the stories of those workers who been burned. Workers who have suffered molten metal burns tell us the horrors of what they experienced. After the physical pain ceases, the physical scares remain. One worker told us that he could “feel” his scars when he was near molten metal. That sensation overtime became too much and he requested a transfer from the casthouse.

The news article does not state on what occurred after the molten metal explosion prior to his visit to the hospital. The pain and discomfort that the worker suffered through must have been unbearable. We are just so glad that the injured worker was able to get medical treatment.

The Aluminum Plant Safety Blog recommends that all workers received treatment for their injuries immediately after receiving them. Any delay in medical treatment, or follow-up medical treatment could result in the medical condition worsening.

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