For decades the accumulation of aluminium dust/fines was a
housekeeping issue. Only after a series of explosions culminating with over 200
workers being killed did many in our industry finally acknowledge the hazard of
aluminum fines. Here is a recent story:
Local
fire officials said the cause of an explosion in September 2018 which injured
two people at a metal tube manufacturer was accidental. A department spokesman
said a welding torch ignited an aluminum dust and water mixture Wednesday at the
company.
A
similar-sounding incident happened there before.
According
to the state’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration, or OSHA, a 2005
explosion injured one employee. A summary of the company's OSHA compliance
history includes the following description, "Employee started up a tube
mill, which produces aluminum dust as part of the process and a fire started in
the alumunizing box. The mill was shut down, the fire put out and when the
system was restarted, the mill exploded, resulting in burns to an employee's
face."
OSHA
fined the company $12,400 after the incident. Part of the fine was for
"not installing and maintaining the arc spray system and associated dust
collection system on the tube mills to control the dust and prevent an
explosion." Local fire officials say Wednesday's explosion "took
place when a pipe welding torch ignited an aluminum dust and water
mixture."
OSHA
spokesman did not draw any comparison between this week's explosion and the one
in 2005. Right now, the state OSHA is conducting an investigation into what
happened in the most recent incident.
"We're
going to inspect the work areas for safety and health hazards and try to
determine what caused or contributed to the accident. And then review whether
existing OSHA standards were violated."
OSHA
inspectors have visited the plant seven times over a 13-year period and issued
citations in all but one instance. One inspection involved a serious injury in
2015.
An
official with the company has not returned a call for comment.
We pray that the injured workers recover fully from their burns. The
Aluminium Plant Safety Blog has posted numerous incidents in the past involving
welding torches and aluminium dust fires and explosions. The Aluminium Times
magazine has posted numerous articles on good housekeeping and aluminium
dust/fine hazards. All of the articles can be downloaded for no cost here.
Please comment.
1 comment:
I enjoyed reading your article :) PLease continue publishing helpful topics like this. Regards, from https://www.gouttieres-polaire.com
I think this article will fully complement your article.
Post a Comment