"Five people were injured...."

The use of industrial gases in our plants is commonplace. From propane, natural gases, argon, nitrogen, etc. these chemicals are used in a variety of processes. The accidental release of any gases in our plants can be hazardous. Here is a recent that emphasizes that

Large-scale operation on Monday at (company name omitted): Five people were injured by escaping gases, including two rescue workers. The fire brigade and rescue service had deployed to the metalworker with a great deal of force.

The police, fire brigade and rescue service were alerted one morning at around 11.45 a.m. one day during the week of February 21, 2021. As fire department spokesman reported in an interview with the editorial team, a (company name omitted) employee and two employees from an external company had previously come into contact with nitrogen dioxide.

The three men were busy with maintenance work in a warehouse for operating materials. To do this, they descended into a pit in which liquids were collected. Nitrogen dioxide had also collected in it, which the workers had also been informed of by the alarm of a measuring device. Although they quickly got out of the pit, they soon felt dizzy and sick, whereupon the emergency number was dialed.

The fire brigade and rescue service immediately moved to the (casting company) site in (town in Germany). While the rescue service was taking care of the three injured, the fire brigade ventilated the hall and repeatedly checked the concentration of the gas. The workers' injuries are not life-threatening, as fire department spokesman explained.

But two rescue workers had come into contact with the nitrogen dioxide and were injured. The control center then triggered a "mass casualty", whereupon other units to (city 80+ km away) were alerted. In total, more than 50 workers from the fire department and more than 20 workers from the rescue service were on duty at Tital, said fire department spokesman. A rescue helicopter from (a city 80+ km away)  had also been requested, but it did not have to fly out a patient.

In addition to several fire brigade units from the municipality of (local town), the joint ABC train from (town 10+ km away) and (town where the plant is) had also moved to the (company name omitted) site. According to fire department spokesman, the mission was over after just under three hours. The operation at the manufacturer of aluminum and titanium investment cast components for aviation, defense, racing and mechanical engineering was not affected by the use.

We pray that the injured workers recover fully from this incident.

We found this great description to why Nitrogen is used in casting process. Here is the blog that we pulled the following paragraph from.

“As the demand for higher quality aluminum products increases, especially in the aerospace industry, so does the need to reduce the occurrence of inclusions in molded products. A popular hydrogen removal method involves introducing bubbled nitrogen gas into the liquid aluminum. The hydrogen is drawn to the nitrogen bubbles, then carried up through the aluminum and released on the surface. Argon is also very effective, but because of the high costs associated with this gas, nitrogen is preferred.” 

Now onto safety. Exposure to Nitrogen dioxide can have serious consequences. Signs and symptoms:

• New or worsening cough and/or wheezing (most common), 
• Eye, nose or throat irritation, 
• Light-headedness or headache, 
• Dyspnea (shortness of breath), 
• Chest tightness, 
• Choking, 
• Chest pain, 
• Diaphoresis (sweating)

If the concentration is high enough the Nitrogen Dioxide can displace oxygen resulting in fatal asphyxiation. Please read this previous sentence. When any gases that are heavier than air escape their containers (piping, tanks, equipment, etc.) the gas flows to the lowest point in a plant. The lowest point in the plant is typically basements and/or pits. In this incident, workers were in a pit when the leak occurred. Thankfully, they had air monitors. If not they would have either been seriously injured or dead.

We recommend that in pits and basements that two (2) emergency air monitors (of different manufacturers) be installed. In addition, workers should carry on their body an air monitor.

Now let us tell our story regarding a pit and no air monitor. A new aluminium plant asked us to enter a vertical direct chill casting pit. Pit was 15 meters deep. Upon entering the construction site we ask the construction manager (Please note during construction the construction company has "official" control of the site, not the  aluminium company) to confirm an air monitor was in the bottom of the pit. Construction manager said “It’s there.” We asked again, “can you please confirm it?” The construction manager refused. After the 90 minute meeting we go over to the casting pit. As we looked down we could not but feel sadden to see two workers at the bottom of the pit and no air monitor was installed. We looked over to the construction manager and said in a kind but forceful tone “You are personally responsible for those workers done there. If they get injured or die, you will go to prison and you will loose everything.” The construction manager acknowledge the seriousness of the issue and the workers were immediately removed from the pit. No here is the good part. There still was no air monitor in the pit. We arrived to enter the pit, asked two hours ago if an air monitor was installed and operating. It was not. Air monitors need to be installed hours prior to entry. We had to leave shortly prior to the air monitors being allowed a sufficient time to safe allow entry. To continue with the story. The construction manager looks at me “you need to go in the pit.” We responded “No way am I going in the pit.” We looked at our associate and said “I know your family and you are not going in the pit.” Remember there is no air monitoring going in but the construction firm is pressuring us to enter a permitted confined space without any of the necessary paperwork or safety measures done. They keep insisting that we traveled hours to the new plant that we needed to go into the pit. We refused. Eventually a concrete worker came up and handed us his personal air monitor. Which we refused. The construction manager said “now go into the pit.” We looked at the personal air monitor as we call it a “pocket canary” and said “No.” Finally, the construction site safety manager comes over and we explain the situation. The construction safety manager agreed “no one should enter the pit.” Worse yet the construction safety manager was not even aware of the latest revision to permitted confined space entry requirements.  Everyone was mad at us because we would not go into the pit. We stood our ground under some considerable pressure. As we recall we were ask/told to enter that pit at least 6 times within 10 minutes. We refused.

But as we tell everyone, safety means little to us if we are honest with ourselves. If I die, it means little to me because I'm dead. But, it means a lot to our families. That is one of the reasons why we are safe. Because of our families, friends, and coworkers. Later we found out that the construction firm was denied a second greenfield project from the aluminium company in part to hearing our story.

Stand your ground, you have one life to live. 

The Aluminium Times Magazine had an article on the permitted confined space revision. It can be found here.

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