Explosion at Special Metals Plant

Around 3:00 PM on Monday, a series of explosions occurred at Special Metals Plant in Burnaugh, Kentucky. Five employees were transported to the local hospital for treatment of burns and respiratory irritation caused by inhaling smoke and dust. An additional 10 workers were evaluated at the scene, but didn’t require medical treatment, said Tom Adams, director of Boyd County Emergency Medical Services. Three separate blasts were heard coming from inside the company. A spokesperson for Special Metals stated that there were no serious life threatening injuries after the blast.

Matt Adkins, director of the Ashland Boyd County Catlettsburg Office of Emergency Management, reported that the blasts occurred right before a shift change. This created some problems accounting for all of the workers who were in the shop. The cause of the explosions is being investigated by the Kentucky Fire Marshal’s Office and the Kentucky State Police. Officials said the most likely culprit was molten metal and water coming into contact. Those two elements “just do not go together,” Adkins said. Adkins also said that although there were some hazardous chemicals on site, fortunately none of them were affected by the incident. A hazardous materials team did come to evaluate the scene. Adkins also said the damage inside the building did not appear to be extensive. He said the incident could have been much worse in terms of both injuries and property damage.

Although Adams, the EMS director, said the last major incident he could recall at the Special Metals plant occurred some 15 to 20 years ago, when two workers were burned by acid, Special Metals employee Ray Owens said the melting furnace in one of the buildings has had problems in the past, and the company neglected it. "There's a lot of things neglected here -- all for the sake of money," he said. A company spokesman said they don't take short-cuts at the expense of workers' safety. He said the top two budget items are safety and maintenance.

Sources:
Hart, Kenneth. "Explosion series rocks Special Metals plant." The Daily Independent online. The Independent-Ashland, Kentucky, 29 Sept. 2009. Web.
"7 Injured in Explosion at Special Metals Plant; Workers Blame 'Faulty Safety Practices'" WSAZ 3 News Channel. Web. 29 Sept. 2009.