"when the metal explosion occurred....burned in both eyes"

Lack of education and awareness of hazards injures and kills workers annually. Here is a recent incident highlight the hazard of molten metal explosions.

In (Europe), a 53-year-old suffered burns to his upper body, neck, face and even eyes on Saturday evening. He had melted aluminum to form art objects when the metal explosion occurred. The (name omitted) rescue helicopter flew him to the (university hospital)

It was about half past five on Saturday evening when a 53-year-old man pursued his hobby, forging art objects, in the garden of his house in (name omitted) (district of (name omitted)). In the process, he melted aluminum ingots with a gas-air furnace to then process them further.

Face and upper body burned

But suddenly there was a metal explosion - water had dripped from the trees onto the heated aluminum. The man was burned in both eyes, face, neck and upper body. The Red Cross took him to the (university hospital 30+ km away) with the (name omitted) rescue helicopter.

We offer our daily prayers for the worker to recover fully from his extensive injuries. Though the news article provides minimal information. We assume because of the injuries that the injured was not wearing a visor, safety glasses, nor fire resistant clothing. In addition, his injuries were so severe that an air ambulance was used to transport the man a relatively short distance to the hospital. In our experience over the past 14 years reporting on incidents, ems personnel rarely call for an air ambulance unless for most severe case.

Though this incident involves an artist using molten aluminium in his art. His injuries are common with anyone not wearing the proper safety clothing. We have toured nearly a dozen aluminium plants in the past few months. Several of those plants had zero to a little safety clothing. When (not if !)  they experience a molten metal explosion their workers will receive similar injuries. Sadly, workers’ burns will be so severe that they will succumb to their injuries days, weeks, and even months later.

The one incident that haunts us is a worker (not wearing the appropriate clothing) received severe burns after an explosion. The worker was recovering in a hospital for several weeks. The worker was conscious and speaking with his family and friends who came to the hospital to visit. The worker was scheduled to be released in a week’s time. Then he caught an infection in the hospital. Medicine could not control it. He died.

It is tragedies like that which motivate us to continue to talk, write, and educate about safety related topics.

The industry’s best safety practices document that every workplace that processes molten aluminium should own is the following:

 

It can be purchased either in a physical copy or electronically here. (link). Please search "casting". 

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