Inspection Detail

Inspection: 120108865 - Vulcan Materials Company

Inspection Information - Office: Van Nuys Mining & Tunneling District Office

Investigation Summary

At 3:50 p.m. on December 6, 2001, a crew of three was working in concert to manually introducing 50 pound bags of pelletized plastic materials as a mixture additive through an inspection opening, via an attached chute, into an asphalt batch plant pug mill. The mixture being prepared is known as "horse sand". The mixture contains only clean sand and the plastic material. The sand is dried at temperatures up to 400 degrees Fahrenheit in a rotary kiln, and transferred through a closed system into the pug mill where the sand retains temperatures exceeding 300 degrees Fahrenheit. When the hot sand is dumped into the pug mill, the air inside of the pug mill is heated, expands, and is displaced by the hot sand as it enters. The inspection opening and chute provide a path of least resistance for the hot air, and the hot air is ejected through the chute. Employee #1, a laborer, received first, second and third degree burns of the left arm, left upper torso, neck and face when lifting a bag of plastic pellets to the chute, and his coat sleeve came into position at the chute, at the moment of hot air discharge, and channeled the hot air into his clothing, causing the burns to his body tissues. Employee #2, the batch plant operator, was accidentally kicked in the chest by Employee #1, in Employee #1's rush to evade the hot air discharge from the pug mill.

Keywords: BURN, KILN, HOT ASPHALT, MILL--PLANT, ASPHALT