| Case Name |
Explosion and fire during grinding aluminum at a metal powder factory |
| Pictograph |
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| Date |
June 16, 1980 |
| Place |
Taito, Osaka, Japan |
| Location |
Metal goods factory |
| Overview |
A dust explosion occurred in a factory in which aluminum powder was handled, and there was a fire. As a lot of aluminum powder and lumps were stored in the factory, extinguishing with water could not be carried out. This resulted in the factory being severely damaged by fire. The cause of the accident was uncertain. However, it is considered that the accident could have resulted from the environment where the aluminum powder was floating up during the operation and accumulated over the floor. This might have been one of the most important causes. |
| Incident |
An explosion occurred at an aluminum grinding mill and there was a fire. A worker on patrol died. A total of 283 square meters including three blocks of factories and a block of company houses burned down. When a fire brigade arrived, the factory buildings had been burnt down to the ground, and wooden pillars and beams had been exposed. The scale of the explosion must have been intense. |
| Processing |
Manufacture |
| Individual Process |
Crushing and powdering |
| Substance |
Aluminum, Fig2 |
| Type of Accident |
Explosion, fire |
| Sequence |
On June 16th, 1980 (the day the accident occurred), at the factory, the stamp (mill) No.1 was scheduled to be shut down at 18:30, the stamp (mill) No.2 at 19:00, and stamp (mill) No.3 at 21:00.
An explosion occurred at about 18:18, and there was a fire. A patrolling worker was injured. Notified by fire alarm telephone, fire engines turned out. The accident site was facilities for hazardous materials. After the situation was confirmed, the fire at company housing with no hazardous materials was extinguished by spraying water. However, as there was a large amount of aluminum powder and lumps in the factory, fire extinguishing with water was not carried out, and foam fire extinguishing with a surface-active agent was carried out, expecting spontaneous extinguishing.
The fire was confirmed to have been extinguished at 1:30 on June 17th.
The injured worker died after he was carried to the hospital by ambulance. |
| Cause |
The cause has not been specified because the worker who was at the site died and fire damage was extensive. It is considered that aluminum powder caused a dust explosion, and a fire was caused by an explosion. The cause of ignition is unknown. The accident site was a factory with hazardous materials, where explosion-proof measures and static electricity protection measures had been taken. |
| Response |
A fire brigade extinguished the fire. A fire in an adjacent forest was extinguished by members of a volunteer fire brigade. |
| Knowledge Comment |
It should be sufficiently recognized that metal powders such as aluminum powder can cause a dust explosion, and when it occurs, remarkable damage results. It is necessary not only to use explosion-proof electrical devices and remove static electricity, but also to pay attention to field cleaning and countermeasures against dust dispersion, etc. It is also necessary to determine emergency response plans, considering that water cannot be used in a storage space containing aluminum. |
| Background |
The basic factors are difficult to identify with accuracy because the cause of the explosion is uncertain. It is important to recognize that aluminum powder has a potential hazard of causing a dust explosion. In the factory during operation, aluminum powder was floating up all over the room, and accumulated over beams and room lights. This seems to be one of the causes of the explosion. |
| Reason for Adding to DB |
Example of metal dust explosion.: A metal dust explosion occurred due to increase in the specific surface |
| Scenario |
| Primary Scenario
|
Poor Value Perception, Poor Safety Awareness, Inadequate Risk Recognition, Organizational Problems, Poor Management, Slackness of Management, Planning and Design, Poor Planning, Wrong Environment Setting, Secondary Damage, External Damage, Dust Explosion, Bodily Harm, Death, Loss to Organization, Economic Loss, Damage of House, etc. 9 million yen
|
|
| Sources |
Material of National Research Institute of Fire and Disaster. 1980
|
| Number of Deaths |
1 |
| Physical Damage |
Three wooden one-story factory buildings and a one-story company house were entirely destroyed by fire (a total of 283 square meters). |
| Financial Cost |
¥ 9 million. (Fire-Defense Headquarters in Daito City) |
| Multimedia Files |
Fig2.Chemical formula
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| Field |
Chemicals and Plants
|
| Author |
DOBASHI, Ritsu (School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo)
TAMURA, Masamitsu (Center for Risk Management and Safety Sciences, Yokohama National University)
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