Abstract: At approximately 2:20 a.m. on March 16, 2004, Employee #1, an environmental safety technician, and three coworkers were attempting to stop a water leak on a furnace. The electric-arc furnace was used to convert scrap metal into new reinforcing bars for construction. A loud popping sound was heard and all workers ran. The furnace exploded and three coworkers were struck from behind by hot steam and flying debris driven by the pressure wave of the explosion. Employee #1 was observing from the control room when the explosion blew out the front observation glass and the back window. Two of the three coworkers on the furnace floor were treated for burns and cuts and released but were not recorded as injuries. Employee #1 suffered severe burns and required surgery and was hospitalized.