Inspection Detail

Inspection: 1176098 - Atlantic Steel Company

Inspection Information - Office: Atlanta East Area Office

Investigation Summary

EMPLOYEES #1-8 WERE INVOLVED IN A CONTINUOUS CASTING MACHINE START-UP. AFTER THEY HAD PERFORMED THE SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE, AND JUST BEFORE THE FIRST MOLTEN STEEL POUR, EMPLOYEES #1-8 WERE CALLED AWAY TO CORRECT A PROBLEM WITH ANOTHER CASTING MACHINE. AT THE TIME THEY WERE CALLED AWAY THEY WERE IN THE PROCESS OF INSTALLING NEW WATER SPRAY BARS BELOW THE CENTER MOLD OF THE MACHINE. UPON THEIR RETURN, AND AFTER THEY HAD FLUSHED THE MACHINE WITH WATER, THE POUR WAS BEGUN. THE CREW FAILED TO REALIZE THAT THE THREE UPPER SPRAY NOZZLES ON ONE SPRAY BAR HAD NOT BEEN INSTALLED. WHEN THE WATER SPRAY WAS CUT ON, THREE STREAMS OF WATER (RATHER THAN SPRAYS) STRUCK THE MOLD. SUFFICIENT FORCE WAS EXERTED TO FORCE WATER INTO THE MOLD. CONSEQUENTLY, A MOLTEN METAL EXPLOSION OCCURRED. EMPLOYEES #1-8, WHO WERE IN THE AREA, RECEIVED VARYING DEGREES OF BURNS.

Keywords: BURN, MAINTENANCE, STEEL, CASTING, EXPLOSION, MOLTEN METAL, WATER