"employees were working with tools that generated sparks..."

 

The use of electric/pneumatic tools in complete tasks in our workplaces is commonplace. Unfortunately, they can create sparks that can ignite nearby combustibles. Here is a recent incident highlighting the need to contain any sparks generated by tools.

A fire inside a factory, where aluminum parts are worked, generated an intense mobilization on Raúl Salinas Avenue in the municipality of Escobedo, Nuevo León. At this point, heavy traffic was also generated by personnel transports heading to the area of the accident.

The fire originated when employees were working with tools that generated sparks, which reached several cardboard boxes, caused the fire, which spread to different areas of this factory. The fire also hit some helium and nitrogen tanks, at least two of which exploded.

Elements of Civil Protection and Firefighters of (city name omitted) arrived at this point, as well as paramedics. Rescuers began with the necessary work to fight the flames registered in this factory and prevent them from spreading to other industrial warehouses that were nearby.

Rescuers evacuated 65 employees who were working inside this factory. Firefighters also pointed out that more than a thousand people who were in this industrial park were evicted (evacuated). So far, the authorities continue to work at this point to rule out risks for workers at this point.

We are thankful that no one was injured in this incident. We assume that quick evacuation results in no one being in the vicinity of the pressurized tanks exploding. Otherwise, they would have been hit by the flying metal.

Plants need to regularly audit their workplaces for combustibles (e.g., cardboard, wooden pallets, etc.).

Please comment.