The rise of scrap usage in our plants has come about for a multitude
of reasons. Some plants utilize internal recycling, while others find economic
savings of purchasing scrap versus purchasing of sows, rsi, etc. This increase
in the usage of scrap has forced some plants to store the material onsite depending on their remelt departments need. Through our travels we have found
that the storage of scrap varies from plant to plant. Some plants will pile up
the scrap in large piles outside. While other will erect large bins or open
silos for storage. The walls of the bins are either large concrete blocks,
poured concrete walls, or temporary walls. It is these walls that overtime are a hidden hazard in our plants. Sadly, history has shown us numerous
incidents where these walls have fallen over resulting in injuries or
fatalities. Here is a recent story that emphasizes the hidden danger in the
storage of scrap.
The men who were working when a 5 meter concrete
structure made of one and
a half tonne concrete blocks put up to support a pile of scrap metal collapsed on them at a recycling plant Europe during the week of July 3, 2016.
Paramedics tried to free the men but local police pronounced
all five victims dead at the scene of the accident.
Two of the bodies were recovered on that night after
painstaking work by emergency crews to retrieve them from underneath tons of
metal and concrete rubble. Efforts to recover the three remaining bodies resumed
on the following day.
A sixth man was taken to hospital with serious leg
injuries.
Two ambulances, an air ambulance, a hazardous area
response team and an emergency planning officer were called to the recycling
company at 8.45am.
A local Ambulance Service spokesman said: "On
arrival, ambulance crews found a wall that had collapsed.
"Sadly, there was nothing that could be done to save
the five men who had been working next to it.
"A sixth man was partially trapped by the falling
concrete but had managed to get out from the rubble himself.
"He was treated at the scene by ambulance staff and
the doctor from the air ambulance for a broken leg before he was taken to a
nearby hospital for further treatment."
Detective Superintendent, said a joint Health and Safety
Executive (HSE) and police investigation was now being carried out to establish
the cause, and warned the process could take weeks.
He added that one line of inquiry would be to find out
whether "any issues of negligence or malpractice" may have
contributed to the collapse. He said: "We're simply trying to recover the
bodies of the men and do it in a way which will help understand exactly how
that wall came to fall down.”
The local Fire Service of the scene where five men died
after a wall collapsed at a recycling plant. The Fire Service deployed its
Technical Rescue Unit (TRU) to the scene equipped with heavy lifting and
cutting equipment. Assistant Chief Fire Officer said the incident was
“devastating” and added: “Once the police have finished their initial
examination of the scene, our absolute priority will be to ensure that the
bodies of those who have lost their lives are recovered in the most timely and
safe way possible, and with the utmost dignity and respect."
He described the scene as extremely challenging, with a
significant tonnage of concrete and metal, and a structure that was still
unstable.
A lorry driver was on site when the tragedy happened. He
said: "We were reloading the recycling metal into containers which will go
into China. I was just about to leave and the guys said 'Stop, nobody go
anywhere, stay where you are.'
"They said it was a major accident. One of the workers
said the wall had crashed. "I saw one guy lying on the floor and
paramedics were putting a mask on him and talking to him.
"They were trying to resuscitate him. The police
came and told me to leave the truck and escorted me out."
A government offical, said: "The bodies of the
victims must be recovered as quickly as possible, but then there will be some
serious questions to answer about what led to the deaths of these workers.”
And in a message on Twitter, Prime Minister said: "Shocked
to hear about the tragedy. My thoughts are with the families of those
involved."
The Aluminium Plant Safety Blog offers our
sincere condolences to the families, friends, and coworkers of the five
deceased workers. We pray that the injured worker recovers fully from his
injuries and is provided physical and mental health assistance.
These incidents where walls holding back scrap
metal collapse occur with some regularity in our industry. Rarely do they
result in an injury or fatality. The recycling company made the assumption that
the sheer weight of the 1.5 tonne blocks would be sufficient in maintain a sufficient
wall. They were wrong. Nevertheless, we have seen this method of storing scrap
done throughout our industry. Which means that many companies are operating
under a false safety belief. It would be our recommendation that any physical
storage of scrap be designed by a licensed engineer and not include the
stacking of large concrete blocks. Instead, steel supports and concrete walls
should be considered.
This is the only photo that is appropriate for us to post. Please note the block wall. A similar constructed wall collapsed on the workers. |
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1 comment:
OMG..Sad to hear the news..
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