more than two dozen firefighters tackled the blaze

We are at a loss of words (yes we really are!) when we visit plants who place importance on their hazards by their quantity not by their presence. These plants tend to either discount or downplay the hazard(s) until an incident. Here is a recent story that illustrates the hazard of a small amount of molten metal escaping its intended container.

More than two dozen firefighters have been tackling a blaze at an automotive plant in the United Kingdom on morning during the week of January 17, 2016 with one person being taken to hospital.

A spokesperson for the local Fire and Rescue Service said they had received the emergency call shortly after 9 am after a fire broke out in the car manufacturing section of the plant.

Local Fire and Rescue Service said that all workers at the site had been evacuated, while four people required medical attention following the fire.

It is understood that three people received treatment at the scene for smoke inhalation, while a fourth was taken to hospital with minor burns.

At 11.22am firefighters believed the fire to be out and were investigating further to confirm this before leaving the scene. 

Four pumping appliances were called to tackle the fire, with the first three being sent at around 9.15am. A water carrier was also sent and an aerial appliance was also sent to assist.

The local Fire and Rescue Service spokesperson said a fourth pumping unit had been requested, and this was sent.

At midday the spokesperson said: “They haven’t confirmed that it is out at present, but they believe it to be out.”

A spokesperson for the local ambulance Service confirmed that one person had been taken to the local hospital for treatment.

The spokesperson said: "We got the call at 9.15am to reports of a fire. We had four patients in total, three were checked over at the scene, but we have taken the fourth into the local Hospital. "Along with the ambulance at the scene we also had our hazardous area response team there who supported the firefighters."

A worker at the plant who asked to remain anonymous told the local news media it was believed the fire had started as a result of a molten metal spill. The employee, who was in a different area of the plant when the blaze broke out, said: “Apparently it was an accident during some routine maintenance and there was a molten aluminium spill, but I’m just going on what I’ve been told. I did hear the fire wasn’t big, but a liquid metal fire can be a difficult thing to extinguish, and there is the fumes etc."

The automotive company have so far not issued a comment in relation to the incident.

Shortly after 1pm, the local Fire and Rescue Service announced that all of the crews were now leaving the scene as the fire was out. A fire spokesperson confirmed the fire had involved a die-cast machine in the factory and was extinguished using on-site extinguishers. “Ten sets of breathing apparatus were used and a gas meter reading along with a thermal imaging camera to ensure the fire was out."

The Aluminium Plant Safety Blog prays that the injured worker recovers fully from his physical and any mental injuries. We commend the automotive company for quickly and safely evacuating the plant.

The news article does not state the quantity of metal spilled. But from our experience in diecasting facilities the quantity was quite small compared to other incidents that have been posted on this blog. Regardless of the quantity of molten metal that your facility handles you need to have in your emergency action plan on what to do when (not if!) a molten metal spill occurs. The APSB has been asked to talk to plant personnel about the topic of metal spills. In our presentation we always comment about the importance of providing tours and a conversation with your local fire department on how to handle molten metal spills. We were taken aback by this incident when it was reported that “a water carrier” was sent to the fire. It is true that you can place water upon molten metal and an explosion should not result. But, many in our industry would rather contain the molten metal spill and allow it to cool without the application of water.

The Aluminium Times magazine had an article about the importance of training your local fire departments:

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