Inspection Detail

Inspection: 310745302 - Synagro-Wwt, Inc.

Inspection Information - Office: Department Of Labor, Licensing, And Regulation Division Of Labor And Industry Maryland Occupational Safety And Health

Investigation Summary

On March 13, 2007, Employee #1 and coworkers were operating a Biosolids drying and pelletizing system which turned human solids into pelletized fertilizer. The system was running in automatic mode when the mixer stopped running, which indicated that the mixer was jammed. A small fire began in the front of the mixer next to the gas fired burner which the employees quickly extinguished. They then exited the building and waited outside for approximately two to three minutes. When they returned into the building they observed the cyclones (small silo-like storage tanks) smoking. They watered the exterior of the cyclones down and emptied the material from inside. There was no access to water the inside of the cyclones. The mixer jam was cleared and the system was restarted in manual mode. Two of the employees opened a hatch and inspected material at the separator can for approximately 15 minutes. They did not observe any hot material. When the material was deemed not to be hot, a maintenance person instructed another employee to start the fan. When the fan was started, it sucked hot embers from inside the cyclone into the system. The separator can exploded up through the ceiling, which was designed with a burst panel. The explosion knocked Employee #1 and a coworker to the floor. Employee #1 received minor contusions but did not require hospitalization.

Keywords: FIRE, MIXER, JAMMED, EXPLOSION, STRUCK BY, CONTUSION