"three (workers) to the hospital and units to the scene to combat a fire"

Training for emergencies should be done on a regular basis and cover every hazard in your plant as well as environmental disasters. When an emergency occurs workers need to follow their training. All too often when a worker fails to follow their training during an emergency they either place themselves in harm’s way or a responding fireman. Here is a recent incident.

An explosion in the southern United States during the week of August 24, 2017 sent three aluminum employees to the hospital and units to the scene to combat a fire.

The explosion occurred in a building next to the factory on. Firefighters responded at 3:15 p.m. and were able to swiftly put the blaze out. Two of the injured employees were taken to hospitals 100 kilometers by helicopter. The third employee was transferred to a hospital 75 kilometers away. All three employees sustained non-life threatening injuries and have since been released from the hospital.

Two local Fire Departments responded. One is handling the investigation.They confirmed through phone the following morning that the matter is still being investigated. Updates will be shared once they are learned.

We pray that the injured workers recover fully for their injuries. A social media post stated “They were firing up a boiler in the shower house and it exploded.” We have not had confirmation from that. Regardless, explosions do occur within our industry. It is our hope that no worker ever has to experience an explosion let alone a hazard. But, if an incident does occur workers need to be reminded that they have to follow their training. Luckily everyone in this plant was evacuated safely and accounted for. We have heard instances where workers did not go to the correct evacuation gathering area. Resulting in confusion and eventual firemen entering the structure to search for the missing workers. That unnecessarily placed the firemen in harm’s way.

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