UNITED STATES
DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Employee #1 had worked three days as a substitute for the regular employee whose job was mixing the ingredients for the "flare ignition compound" which is applied to the top of highway and road flares, manufactured at the worksite. The ignition compound is first mixed and then an alcohol and shellac mix is added to form wet slurry. After the production day had ended the Employee #1 proceeded to perform a "thorough" cleanup of the area. The area being cleaned included the filling production area, the dry mix room and the wet mix room. Approximately 20 minutes after the departure of other workers in the area, an explosion occurred in the outside dust collector. Responding coworkers found Employee #1's body approximately 45 ft from the left side of the collector. Employee #1 suffered decapitation from an access door which had been ejected. The collector started to break apart at its welded seams and became airborne in a vertical apogee landing approximately 50 ft from it original location. The dust collector contained airborne fine particles generated during both the dry and wet mixing of the flare ignition compound and "Tecsol"(ethanol based) vapors from the wet mix area. These fine particles contained varying amounts of potassium chlorate and perchlorate with various dry fuel compounds, a basic industry formulation for this type of compound. The dust collector, reported to be working when last seen, exhibited signs of deflagration within the filter area. The investigation was unable to determine the specific source of ignition or the sequence of events that transpired prior to and at time of accident. A ferrous metal scraper used for removing the flare ignition residue from the concrete floor and other surface areas was found lying on the floor of the wet mix room. Employee #1 was killed.