Inspection Detail

Inspection: 126764752 - Remacor Inc.

Inspection Information - Office: Utah Division Of Occupational Safety And Health

Investigation Summary

Employee #1, age 18, and Employee #2 were blending magnesium and lime in a large roller drum and hopper. The mixture was loaded through the hopper, up an auger to a shaker unit, and then dumped onto a belt that carried it into a three-compartment "pig trailer." Dust levels were controlled by local exhaust ventilation systems throughout all operations of this process. An explosion and flash fire occurred within the hopper, igniting the magnesium dust and starting fires within the roller drum, the shaker unit, the pig trailer, and in the open drums of magnesium waiting to be loaded. Employee #1's clothes were ignited in the blast, and he suffered second- and third-degree burns over 21 percent of his body. Employee #2 pulled Employee #1 from the area, smothered the flames on his body, and then brought the fire under control with talc powder that was readily accessible. He sustained burns on his hands and back. At the time this report was written, the ignition source for the original explosion and flash fire had not been determined.

Keywords: BURN, CLOTHING, FIRE, BACK, EXPLOSION, CHEMICAL REACTION, COMBUSTIBLE DUST, HAND, CHEMICAL, HOPPER