Inspection Detail

Inspection: 1510067.015 - Luvata Appleton Llc

Inspection Information - Office: Appleton Area Office

Investigation Summary

At 9:00 a.m. on January 9, 2021, an employee was using a piece of flat stock steel to move/remove slag inside of a melting pot. The employee had just inserted the slag stick into the pot and approximately one quarter of the slagging stick was submerged below the melt. It is uncertain at this time was caused the volatile reaction, but at some point, the molten copper alloy reacted to a new agent in the pot and exploded. The resulting blast showered the surrounding area with molten copper alloy and sparks. The blast also knocked the employee backward and had enough force to remove his helmet and face shield. The helmet and face shield were coated with the molten copper alloy and could be seen as a "fireball" on video. The employee suffered severe burns to the face, hand, arm, legs and chest and was hospitalized. Additionally, the heat of the explosion caused swelling in the employee's esophagus, resulting in the employee requiring a tracheotomy to breath.

Keywords: Arm, Burn, Chemical Burn, Chemical Reaction, Chest, Explosion, Explosive Mixing, Face, Fall, Fall On Same Level, Hand, Helmet, Leg, Molten Metal, Molten Slag, Moving, Removing, Shortness of breath, Spark, Steel, Swelling, Trachea