The use of nitrogen in removing
hydrogen from molten metal is commonplace throughout our industry. This incident
shows the potential hazard in the storage of hydrogen in our plants. Here is a
recent story emphasizing this hazard.
As many as four persons, including three labourers
and a woman, living in the adjacent quarters, suffered burn injuries after a
blast took place at an aluminium casting factory today in India. The police
said a nitrogen cylinder exploded due to high pressure which resulted in
injuries to the workers who were attending to their task at the spot. They were
immediately admitted to a private hospital.
The injured workers have been identified as (omitted),
(omitted), (omitted) and (omitted), and are believed to be now out of danger.
The blast took place at 12 noon. The police reached
the spot immediately after learning of the incident. Of the four injured
workers, two suffered 40 per cent and 30 per cent burn injuries, respectively,
while the remaining two also suffered burn injuries which were less severe. As
per the information, the tin roof sheets also collapsed after the explosion.
Deputy Superintendent of Police, who was also
investigating the case, said the labourers were unfit to record their
statements. “They are taking medications and cannot speak for now. We will
record their statements once they are fine,” said the DSP.
“We had visited the spot, it was an industrial
accident and preliminary investigations have revealed that the blast occurred
due to high pressure in the cylinder. The actual reason will only be
ascertained after proper investigation and a person who is technically sound
will be able to tell the real reason,” he said.
Station House Officer said investigation was on and
the statements of the victims will be recorded when they recover.
We pray that the injured
workers recover fully from their injuries.
All too often when portable
compressed cylinders explode. Fatalities result. Thankfully that was not the
case here, and we pray that the workers recover fully. As well as the nearby
resident that was injured in this accident.
The importance of proper
handling and storage of portable compressed cylinders can never be understated.
We have learned at the Aluminium Plant Safety Blog that the failure to follow
the industry’s best practices toward safety will eventually result in an
incident. Always.
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