Case Ditails

Scenario
Case Name Fire during packing operation of aluminum powder at a metal powder factory
Pictograph
Date December 23, 1981
Place Taito, Osaka, Japan
Location Metal goods factory
Overview At an aluminum powder manufacturing plant, ignition occurred while aluminum powder was being taken off from a polishing machine. A worker got burnt, and part of the factory was damaged by fire. As there was a lot of aluminum powder in the workshop, extinguishing by spraying water was not possible. The fire spread. The spread of fire could have been prevented if appropriate and immediate actions were taken at the initial stage of the fire. It seems to be a serious problem that fire extinguishing facilities and training were insufficient.
Incident During packing aluminum powder through a screening machine after polishing treatment, which is the final process of manufacturing aluminum powder, ignition occurred. Workers tried to extinguish it by covering the fire with paper bags in which the products were to be put, but the fire spread. As spraying water might cause an explosion, they tried to extinguish the fire using a high-degree foaming agent in vain. Part of the workshop (122 square meters) was destroyed by fire. A worker got burnt.
Processing Manufacture
Individual Process Filling and subdivision
Substance aluminum, Fig2
Type of Accident Fire
Sequence On December 23rd, 1981. After putting crushed aluminum powder, talc, and stearic acid in a polishing machine, the machine was rotated for eight hours, and was stopped.
About 08:00 on December 24th. Ignition occurred while products were being taken off from No.4 polishing machine among the four machines. Work for dropping aluminum powder into a wooden box placed below the polishing machine by turning the brush rotation handle was conducted. When the wooden box was taken out after all the powder had dropped, it was found that the aluminum powder started to burn gradually. Although workers tried to extinguish by covering it with paper bags in which the products were to be put, the paper bags began to burn. Besides, they beat it with brooms, but could not put the fire under control. Eventually, they called for help.
Notified by a fire alarm telephone call at 08:05, a fire brigade turned out. The fire spread rapidly because the factory had large reserves of aluminum powder. When the fire brigade arrived, the west half of the block was already on fire. As there were about 5000 kg of aluminum powder in the factory, spraying water would have caused an explosion. Thus the fire fighting was done using a high-degree foaming agent. However, the aluminum powder in the workshop could not be extinguished; so efforts were made to prevent the fire from spreading.
09:30. The fire was confirmed to have been extinguished.
Cause Unknown. It seems some energy was added to the powder taken off from the polishing machine.
Knowledge Comment Aluminum powder has a hazard of ignition and explosion. In addition, once it is on fire, damage easily spreads because extinguishing by spraying water is not possible. Therefore, in the process of handling aluminum powder, prevention of ignition and explosion must be attempted, and immediate actions should be appropriately taken and the accident should be made known to everyone. Training should be carried out. It is also necessary to try to clean the factory because aluminum powder that accumulates in the factory promotes the spread of fire.
Background The cause of ignition itself is uncertain. However, the problem is that immediate actions were not taken by workers in an appropriate manner in spite of the ignition hazard of aluminum powder. If appropriate fire extinguishing facilities had been installed and training had been carried out, the spread of a fire could have been prevented.
Incidental Discussion This accident occurred in the same factory as in the case "Explosion and fire during grinding aluminum in a metal powder factory."
Reason for Adding to DB Example of metal dust fire: High combustibility of metal dust with increase in the specific surface
Scenario
Primary Scenario Poor Value Perception, Poor Safety Awareness, Inadequate Risk Recognition, Organizational Problems, Poor Management, Poor Operation Management, Planning and Design, Poor Planning, Poor Design, Non-Regular Action, Emergency Action, Panic, Secondary Damage, External Damage, Fire, Bodily Harm, Injury, Loss to Organization, Economic Loss, Manetary Damagge 4 million yen
Sources Fire and Disaster Management Agency. Examples of accidents at dangerous material manufacturers. 1981. pp.56-57.
Number of Injuries 1
Physical Damage A screening machine and a stamp machine were damaged.
Financial Cost ¥ 4 million (Fire and Disaster Management Agency)
Multimedia Files Fig2.Chemical formula
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)
Scenario