a vacuum and pressure furnace explodes....one killed...

We are always sadden when we read or hear about a fatal incident. We cannot help but imagine the pain that occurs for so many when a worker dies while working. We are concerned that our posts are respectful to the dead and fear that if we did not post these stories that the incident could recur at another plant. Here is a recent story

A man is dead after an industrial furnace exploded around 4:30 p.m. one day during the week of March 18, 2018. Residents said they could hear the explosion from a mile away.

"It was just a big boom -- a big loud boom, like thunder or like a transformer blowing," said a local resident.

"It just was a sudden boom. A one-time thing, a one-shot event," said a local resident. The explosion and resulting fire occurred an industrial furnace manufacturer, police said. The company's website said they manufacture "vacuum and pressure furnaces."

"When the explosion occurred, it blew whatever was on fire, it blew it up to the corners of the building, so we had fires around the roofline," explained Fire Chief.

Three employees were hurt, including one person who suffered burns over a quarter of his body. The local Attorney's Office said one of those employees, a man in his 50s, was later pronounced dead. Two firefighters also suffered minor injuries while working on the three-alarm fire. The road nearby was closed for several hours as the firefighters worked.

The cause of the explosion and fire is not yet known. It is under investigation by OSHA and the office of the State Fire Marshal.

"The investigation is ongoing but preliminary findings point to a failure of a pressure vessel," said, spokeswoman for the Department of Fire Services.

We pray for the deceased worker’s family, friends, and coworkers. We also pray for the injured workers and hope they recover fully from the physical injuries.

Though the information from the news media is lacking we do know that the explosion occurred with a vacuum and pressure furnace. We hope that those who have that equipment will review their safety protocols to ensure an explosion cannot occur.

We will update this post when we know more information.

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