Abstract: Employee #1 was a caster performing semi-continuous casting with a water-cooled mold. Employee #1 was in the "Shrink" process but apparently did not turn off the downcast mechanism that caused the billet to continue downward and the top of the billet to move out of the molding. Employee #1 was standing directly in front of the furnace and began pouring additional molten metal into the billet. The molten metal contacted a weak spot (not supported by the molding) in the side wall causing the billet to leak out. The molten metal burned through a water-jacket pipe, contacted the water and caused a rapid expansion that resulted in an explosion. The force knocked Employee #1's face shield and safety glasses off. Employee #1 received first-and-second-degree steam burns to his head, face, chest, and third-degree metal burns on his legs. Employee #1 was hospitalized for his injuries.