Abstract: Employee #1 was operating a front end loader in a slag pond at an iron pipe foundry. The water in the pond contacted molten iron that was being drained from an iron-making cupola. The ensuing steam explosion filled the loader unit's cab with steam and flying debris and ignited a fire inside the cab. After the explosion, Employee #1 stepped into the scalding water in the slag pond and suffered second-degree burns on the ankles and calves of both of his legs. Causal factors include the presence of a molten iron and slag mixture near the slag pond during the cupola-draining operation; the operation of the loader in the pond during the cupola-draining process; the open door on the loader's cab, which allowed steam and flying debris to enter; and conditions of poor visibility and urgency, which contributed to Employee #1 stepping into the pond.