If we have learned one thing about safety is the impossible is
possible. We recall touring an extrusion plant one time walking by the
maintenance department and commenting that the pedestal drill did not have
proper guarding on it. The plant manager asked “Is it really that dangerous”. We
responded “in the past 16 months we know one worker that was scalped and
another worker that lost fingers with a pedestal drill”. The plant manager aknowledged
then that the impossible is possible. Here is a recent story that we pray all
readers will investigate if this incident could be reproduced.
An explosion at aluminium foundry caused several employees to be sent to a hospital one morning during the last week of May 2020.
According to the local Department of Fire and Emergency Services, firefighters were dispatched to aluminium foundry, on the report of an explosion in the factory with possible injuries.
Upon arrival, firefighters found a large factory with a light smoke/haze showing, the press release said. An orderly evacuation was in progress.
Firefighters determined a large, pressurized air tank had exploded.
Several employees were injured as a result of the explosion. Two were transported to (the local hospital’s) ER with non-life threatening injuries.
There was no fire from the explosion, but it caused structural damage to the building.
A “box alarm” was dispatched to recall all off-duty (local) firefighters as well as (two other) fire departments.
(The local gas company) was called to the scene to secure the gas and (electric company) to secure the power.
No injuries were reported by first responders working on the scene.
We pray that the injured workers recover fully from their injuries. We assume that the pressure vessel that exploded was in part to supply “plant air” to the foundry. In our experience those pressurized tanks are large (greater than 1250 Liters).
We pray that every reader ask their maintenance department if this incident could happen at their plant.
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