"fire caused by overflow of a molten aluminum tank..."

 

The unexpected loss of molten metal from it intended container is one of the workplace’s worst nightmares. Here is a recent incident highlighting the hazard of molten metal leaks/spills.

A large deployment of firefighters took place this morning at the (aluminium) plant, located in (town name omitted), following a fire caused by the overflow of a molten aluminum tank.

The alert was given around 7 a.m., mobilizing more than thirty firefighters from the (local) Fire Protection Service. When they arrived, dense, gray smoke was billowing from the building.

The employees all evacuated the premises.

Firefighters had to intervene with caution, since the blaze involved molten aluminum that would have come into contact with combustible elements. Firefighters cannot use water when a fire involves molten aluminum, as the chemical reaction between water and molten metal is extremely dangerous. In order to intervene properly, they would have used fire extinguisher powder and other control material.

Thanks to the efficiency of the sappers, the fire was brought under control, limiting the damage to part of the installations.

We are thankful that no one was injured in this incident. The news media article does not state if the aluminium plant had Class D fire extinguishing agent on hand.

We question if the workplace had a molten metal spill kit. We assume that they did not because the molten metal spill flowed and contacted and ignited combustible materials.

Here is a recent article discussing molten metal spill kits. It can be found here.

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