Casthouse explodes.....30+ workers hurt..

Simply put, bad things can happen when molten aluninium escapes its intended container. The history of our industry is marked with catastrophic events involving molten metal explosions. Here is a recent incident that emphasizes the hazard of dealing with molten aluminium:

Preliminary investigations indicate molten aluminum hitting water caused explosions that injured more than 30 employees at an aluminum plant in the USA, a federal agency said one day during the week of August 2, 2015.

The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration is investigating the explosions that occurred at an aluminum plant in the USA.

The exterior of the building was blown off due to the explosion(s).

OSHA officials said preliminary findings suggest molten aluminum came into contact with water, causing the explosions. OSHA said 33 workers were hurt, but the aluminium company spokesman said none of the injuries was critical. One worker was treated for smoke inhalation and 32 for eye and throat irritation, OSHA said. Some also had ringing in the ears.

A large plume of smoke after the explosions could be seen for miles, and a newspaper reporter on the scene saw the metal service building's south wall was ripped apart by the blasts and holes were seen in other walls.

The newspaper reporter said the explosions occurred in the cast house, where the company produces extrusion billet, a length of metal with a cylindrical shape. OSHA said much of that building appeared to be destroyed, though other buildings were undamaged.

"OSHA is on scene and will conduct a thorough investigation at aluminium facility to see if any violations of safety procedures contributed to this tragic incident," OSHA's assistant area director, said in a statement.

The OSHA's local office, said the investigation could take up to six months to complete.

____________________here is a later news article________________________________

The aluminium company announced today that  molten aluminum production at its aluminum plant is continuing at the same level as before an explosion yesterday in that facility's casthouse.

Although the incident affected the company's production of extrusion billet, the company is redirecting that portion of the plant's molten aluminum output to other saleable products such as redraw rod and aluminum ingot.

The roof of the casthouse was damaged due to the explosion

"We are thankful that no serious injuries occurred as a result of yesterday's incident," said the aluminium company’s President and Chief Executive Officer. "We are investigating the incident's cause and assessing the damage to the casthouse. Once that assessment is complete we will determine the necessary steps and timeline for restoring our extrusion billet production. Other than the casthouse, which is a discrete, single unit part of the facility, the plant is operating at the same level as before yesterday's incident."

The incident, which occurred at approximately 12:30 p.m. one day during the week of August 2, 2015, is being investigated as a molten metal explosion. The aluminium company’s on-site emergency action team, joined by local emergency response units, responded quickly to secure the area and provide necessary medical attention. Injuries were limited to non-critical abrasions, dust irritation, and smoke inhalation.

The end of the casthouse was damaged due to the explosion.

No estimates are available at this time regarding the financial impact of the incident. The aluminium company expects that some or all of the financial impact will be mitigated by property and business interruption insurance.

The Aluminium Plant Safety Blog prays that all injured workers recover fully from their physical and mental injuries. Some of the workers suffered ringing in the ears, or Tinnitus. Tinnitus can occur due to trauma to the ear (i.e., loud noise exposure) where the portion of the ear that allows us to hear, the cochlea, becomes damaged. The American Tinnitus Association has more information about this medical condition. The association can be located here. 

The explosion(s) force was so strong that the United States Geological Service’s reading stations picked it up over 30 miles away. Please note that the majority of the force traveled through the air (over 90%). The remaining force was transferred into the earth. The readings would correlate to a very small earthquake.

another photo of the roof which is badly damaged from the explosion

This explosion was very large and luckily no one was killed. We acknowledge that this explosion will have lasting physical and mental affects to the workers, their families, and their friends that were there that afternoon. 

These large explosions occur with a frequency of one every sixteen months. The APSB acknowledges that this is the fourth (4th) large explosion that has occurred in the past 8 months. Luckily no lives were lost in this explosion. Unfortunately, the other three explosions resulted in numerous fatalities. We'll add more to this story over the next few days when more information is released.

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