"the second victim was one of the firefighters..."

The hazard associated with aluminium shavings and dust fires is overlooked in many workplaces. In so much that they do not have the proper fire extinguisher agent (Class D – metal fire) nor do they train local fire responders on how to safely extinguish shavings/dust fires. Here is a recent incident highlighting this hazard

Rescuer burned his face with aluminum dust while extinguishing a fire at a (city named omitted) plant

An employee of the enterprise received a burn to his face, he was hospitalized at the (nearby hospital).

The second victim was one of the firefighters who arrived at the scene to extinguish the fire. With a burn to his face and suspected concussion, he was taken to the city hospital (location name omitted).

The flaming container with metal shavings is located outside, outside the premises of the plant. Rescuers of the (government ems) continue to work on the spot.

We pray that the injured worker and fire fighter recover from their burns. The news article does not state but we wonder if water was used to extinguish the flames. Water should NEVER be used to extinguish a shavings/dust fire.

The concern is that the force behind the water stream can propel the dust/shavings into the air resulting in a flash fire. The next issue is that there can be a chemical reaction in the container resulting in an explosion. We have reported on incidents involving that exact scenario. Sadly, workers and fire fighters have been injured and killed when placing water on aluminium dust fires.

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