"“It’s just a volatile combination..."

The proper storage of combustible material in our facilities is a serious matter. There have been numerous incidents where combustible stored material (raw material, finished product, etc.) caught fire. Here is a recent story of an incident dealing with the proper storage of aluminium powder:

Officials at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California ordered employees out of buildings near a hazardous material storage area Thursday after a container of aluminum powder came into contact with water, a JPL spokesperson said.

The JPL News and Social Media Manager, said the unstable container was moved out of the storage area and isolated until it became stable to prevent damage or injury.

“It’s just a volatile combination,” the JPL News and Social Media Manager said. “The incident resolved itself, as soon as the container was cooled down.”

Employees at buildings near the area where the aluminum power was being stored were evacuated to the JPL cafeteria while the JPL Fire Department was responding.

The JPL News and Social Media Manager said the whole incident took about two and a half hours. No one was injured during the incident.

“There was no spill, there were no fumes or anything like that,” The JPL News and Social Media Manager said. “It was all confined to one container, which was like the size of a large metal bucket.”

A tweet from the Los Angeles County Fire Department later Thursday said HazMat (hazardous material) teams assisted the JPL Fire Department in responding to the incident.

“UPDATE: #JPL FD and #LACoFD HazMat teams have made entry to a storage area and have mitigated the hazard. No damage to structures or injuries reported. LA County units going available shortly,” the tweet said.

An earlier LA County Fire Department message said the product (aluminum powder in a container) was being cooled and that no injuries have been reported. It is not known how the powder came in contact with water in the storage area.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says aluminum powder “reacts with water and alcohols, and violently with oxidants , strong acids , strong bases , and chlorinated hydrocarbons causing fire and explosion hazard.”

The Confederation of the Aluminum Industry (GDA) in Dusseldorf, Germany says aluminium powder “should be stored dry and any contact with water avoided.”

“One should ensure that the containers are always protected against rain, snow and humidity,” GDA says on its website. “Leaks in steam pipelines, water pipes, radiators or roofs should be repaired immediately in order to avoid products coming into contact with water.”

We congratulate this location for acknowledging the hazardous situation and taking immediate action. Thankfully this worksite had an onsite fire department that was able to respond immediately. But, the vast majority of our plants do not have a local fire department on their premises. It is imperative that all plants have a working relationship with their local fire department(s). The Aluminium Times had an article about this topic, which can be downloaded here.

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