"furnace on fire..."

The importance of good housekeeping by companies varies wildly throughout our industry. Here is a recent incident that highlights the importance of this topic:

The (local) Fire Department was toned out to an aluminium remelt plant one day during the first week in November for a furnace on fire. Responding were Engine 1, Ladder 3, Engine 4, Medic 1, Medic 2, and Utility 9.

The fire was contained.

We are thankful no one was injured in this incident. The photos show in our opinion large amounts of aluminum fines under and around the furnace. It is unknown from the news story above on what caused the combustible to ignite. We would assume that molten metal leaked and ignited the aluminium fines. Just an assumption.

Now let’s discuss the photos below. 

Wow, this is a facility that in our opinion that does not emphasize housekeeping. The photos show the classic example of a facility failing to properly housekeep around a furnace. Housekeeping always starts and ends (as with everything else) with commitment from management. We wonder when the last time their insurance company performed an audit. 

If plant management cares about housekeeping the workers will to. On our plant visits we always ask to visit the workers' bathrooms, breakrooms, and lunchrooms. It is important that those areas are clean. Because workers notice. If plant management makes sure the first and last areas workers will be is clean. It is easier in our opinion to get the workers to keep their workplace clean and tidy.

In addition, this incident makes us wonder if there was enough Class D fire extinguishers on hand. 

One of the first articles that was written by us involved the topic of housekeeping. Why? Because we visited an aluminium plant that focused on housekeeping. It was so very refreshing to tour an aluminum plant which was concerned with maintaining a clean facility that we wrote about it. The plant in the story is the example we always give when plant managers say "it is too hard to keep an aluminium plant clean". 

The Aluminium Times Magazine had an article about good housekeeping practices.

Please comment.