Solid Aluminium Removed From Worker's Nose

If you have been in this long enough you have heard the stories of the past. You have heard the stories of workers being killed by molten metal explosions. You have heard the stories of workers who inhaled molten metal when some of these explosions occurred. We shiver just imagining the pain that workers in the past must have suffered through until practices and personnel protection equipment mitigated this hazard. But, sadly in some few isolated plants following the current best practices toward safety is lacking or non-existent. Here is a recent story that has a better ending than one would have expected:

In a rare medical procedure, an expert in ENT and Endoscopic Skull Base surgery at the Institute of Medical Sciences (IMS) and SUM Hospital, Odisha, India successfully removed pieces of aluminium from the left nostril of an industrial worker.

Prakash Mallick, 22, who worked in an aluminium industry in Surat, was injured following an explosion in the plant. As a result, he inhaled aluminium in liquid gaseous form at a very high temperature. It turned into solid aluminium inside his nostril after coming into contact with body temperature.

Mallick was unable to breathe as he developed complete stenosis (narrowing of the passage) in the left nostril. He was taken under the care of Dr Radhamadhab Sahu, internationally known Endoscopic Skull Base surgeon and senior consultant in ENT and Skull Base Surgery.

He successfully removed about 20 grams of solidified aluminium from the patient’s left nostril. It was clinging to the surrounding bones close to the brain. Dr Sahu removed it through an advanced endoscopic technique, freeing the nasal passage.

Mallick has started breathing normally and his condition is improving.

Describing it as a “very challenging and rare case”, Dr Sahu said aluminium melts at 640 degree C. After the gaseous aluminium entered the nasal cavity, it got solidified and took the shape of the nostril blocking the passage and tightly adherent to surrounding structures.

“All the particles were removed by advanced endoscopic technique, and a new passage created for the nostril with the procedure spanning over two hours,” he said.

We are so very thankful for the doctor in this story. His good work has allowed an injured worker to finally begin to heal from this molten metal explosion.

We hope that we are not being disrespectful by including names and location in the story. That is not our intention. In our opinion the Indian aluminium industry has gotten a less than positive reputation towards worker safety that is unwarranted. There are many companies that care about safety. The problem is the illegal factories that sprout up without the knowledge of local officials. The problem with illegal factories is not an Indian problem per se, we have reported incidents throughout the globe that occurs at these illegal factories.

We will use this story to educate thousands of workers around the globe. How? Not by demeaning or being disrespect to this worker. But, to remind the workers that we speak that if their task requires a face shield that the shield needs to be used properly. All too often we will observe workers around molten metal with their face shield in the raised position when it should be down providing the protection.

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