Electric Arc Furnace Explosions: a Deadly but Preventable Problem

30 Safety First

Electric Arc Furnace Explosions: A Deadly but Preventable Problem

Hazards are ever-present in the Over the past 30 to 40 years, electric is believed that a stray electrical arc steel plant environment, and arc furnaces (EAFs) used in steel- created a significant internal water a heightened awareness and making and other processes have leak on one of the water-cooled shell emphasis on safety is a necessary been running longer, harder and panels. The pressurized leak accu- priority for our industry. This faster as facilities make it a prior- mulated within the furnace and monthly column, coordinated by ity to ramp up production. In addi- when the temperature of the molten members of the AIST Safety & tion to more demanding operating steel was finally up to pouring tem- Health Technology Committee, schedules, many furnaces have been perature (approximately 3,000°F), focuses on procedures and equipped with larger electrodes, the employees found that the fur- practices to promote a safe oxygen lances, or secondary chemi- nace’s taphole was blocked. When working environment for everyone. cal energy sources to generate more they succeeded in unblocking the power and boost furnace ratings. As taphole, the EAF violently erupted. EAFs are increasingly pushed and One worker was killed and two oth- stretched to the limits, the goal of ers injured as a result. ensuring safe and reliable operation Despite measures to improve safe- Authors has never been more challenging. ty following this accident, another Scott Ferguson During this period of escalating very similar incident occurred in vice president and general manager, production demands, EAF furnace Coatesville in May 2013. Three work- Systems Spray-Cooled Inc., Smyrna, Tenn., USA accidents have unfortunately been ers were injured, two critically, when [email protected] widespread and do not seem to be water again leaked into an EAF, abating. Table 1 includes a sam- leading to an explosion. Nick Zsamboky technical sales and service, ple listing of serious EAF accidents Systems Spray-Cooled Inc., caused by steam explosions during Carbide Industries, Louisville, Ky., USA, Smyrna, Tenn., USA the past two decades. The following March 2011 — Two employees were [email protected] sections will highlight a few exam- killed and two others injured by a ples of the most highly publicized steam explosion. According to the incidents, listed chronologically: Chemical Safety Board (CSB), “The deaths and injuries likely resulted Tamco Steel Inc., Rancho Cucamonga, when water leaked into the elec- Calif., USA, March 2004 — A safe- tric arc furnace causing an over- ty technician and three coworkers pressure event, ejecting furnace were attempting to stop a water leak contents heated to approximately on an EAF used to convert scrap 3800°F.” The CSB reported that metal into new reinforcing bars for the explosion occurred after the construction. The furnace exploded company failed to investigate simi- and emitted hot steam and flying lar but smaller explosive incidents debris, blowing out the front obser- over many years, while deferring vation glass and the back window of crucial maintenance of the EAF. the control room. The technician In February 2013, as part of its suffered severe burns and required final investigation report on the AIST.ORG I surgery and hospitalization. incident, the CSB cited the need Comments are welcome. for a standard mechanical integrity If you have questions about this ArcelorMittal Plate (formerly called program for electric arc furnaces topic or other safety issues, please ISG Plate), Coatesville, Pa., USA, May that would include preventive main- contact [email protected]. 2007 — Three steelworkers were tenance based on periodic inspec- Please include your full name, working adjacent to a 165-ton rated tions and timely replacement of fur- IRON & STEEL TECHNOLOGY

I company name, mailing address EAF when, according to the U.S. nace covers. and email in all correspondence. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) report, it JAN 2017 31

Gerdau Long Steel North America, Knoxville, Tenn., USA, facility operations as well as pose a serious threat to May 2014 — One steelworker was killed and five oth- safety. ers injured by a hydrogen explosion that occurred EAFs are used in a wide range of other extreme when a leak caused more than 1,000 gallons of water heat load applications in iron and steel foundry works, to pour into a 2,900°F electric arc furnace, tossing in addition to steelmaking industries that produce out “fragments of molten metal and debris,” accord- steel from iron and ferrous ores and steel scrap; ing to a report by the Tennessee Occupational Safety non-ferrous industries (including aluminum, bronze, and Health Administration (TOSHA). Workplace brass, copper, zinc titanium, tin and lead); mining/ procedures call for employees to shut off the water ore smelting; carbide and other specialty chemical and evacuate the area when there is a leak. But on the manufacturing; and powdered metallurgy. day of the accident, employees did not leave the area A number of U.S. agencies are concerned with the and a pump directed 200 gallons of water per minute issue of EAF explosions, among them OSHA, the into the furnace for at least seven minutes before it National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), the was shut off. CSB, and industry groups such as the Association for Iron & Steel Technology (AIST) and the American The examples described above and the additional Foundry Society. In 2013, when the CSB published incidents listed in Table 1 comprise many of the its final report on the Carbide Industries investiga- more serious incidents. Smaller explosions or “near tion, they called for development of a standard that misses” sometimes occur in which there may be no “will provide guidance for industry on the safe han- injuries, yet there will invariably be property damage, dling of hazardous processes that may not otherwise sometimes extensive. These lesser incidents are often be regulated by other safety regulations, such as not reported to the media or to regulatory agencies, OSHA’s Process Safety Management (PSM) Program.” but they may nonetheless be costly and disruptive to However, at the time of this writing no industry or

Table 1 Partial List of Accidents Year Country Facility Injuries Description 1994 Germany Steel mill 7 injured EAF explosion caused by water leak from sidewall cooling system 1 killed, 1 seriously 1995 Germany Steel mill EAF explosion caused by water leak in cooling system injured 2003 U.S. Steel mill 2 seriously injured Half-ton EAF explosion caused severe burns Construction products 2004 U.S. 1 hospitalized injury Explosion occurred as technician was trying to stop EAF water leak manufacturing 2004 U.S. Smelting plant 1 killed Worker burned by 3,000°F steam when EAF exploded 2007 U.S. Steel mill 1 killed, 2 injured Stray electrical arc created an internal leak on a water-cooled shell panel

2008 Germany Steel mill None Water leak in the EAF caused six-figure damage but no injuries

2010 U.S. Steel mill 1 killed, 4 injured Leak in EAF caused water to mix with molten slag

2011 U.S. Steel pipe manufacturing 1 killed, 2 injured Workers exposed to 2,000°F molten metal and steam in EAF explosion

2011 U.S. Carbide manufacturing 2 killed, 2 injured Workers exposed to 2,000°F molten metal and steam in EAF explosion Water accidentally entered EAF as workers were removing partly melted

2011 Australia Steel mill 4 injured, 1 seriously JAN 2017 scrap 2012 Canada Steel mill 1 injured Injury occurred from a small steam explosion in the meltshop EAF I

2012 U.S. Steel mill 2 injured EAF steam explosion injured two workers IRON & STEEL TECHNOLOGY 2013 U.S. Steel mill 1 killed EAF explosion fatally injured one worker 2013 U.S. Steel mill 3 injured, 2 critically Water leak into 3,000°F EAF caused severe explosion 2013 Mexico Steel mill 4 killed, 10 injured Explosion occurred during routine maintenance at DRI intake of EAF 2014 U.S. Steel mill 2 killed, 17 injured Deaths and injuries resulted from violent EAF explosion

Leak caused 1,000 gallons of water to pour into EAF, creating a hydrogen I 2014 U.S. Steel mill 1 killed, 5 injured AIST.ORG explosion 2014 U.S. Steel mill 1 killed Pipe exploded in a BOP furnace, fatally injuring one worker 32 JAN 2017 I IRON & STEEL TECHNOLOGY I AIST.ORG Although pressurized water is an effective coolant, it coolant, effective an is water pressurized Although Spray bars in a non-pressurized spray cooling system. cooling spray anon-pressurized in bars Spray Safety First In the fatal accidents described earlier, and in many earlier, many in and described accidents fatal the In operating at higher capacities with much higher tem with at higher capacities operating ogy has developed over time. developed has ogy a common denom is well, there as documented others or standard targeted at the specific problem of EAF problem of EAF specific at the targeted or standard or mechanical puncture during operation creates creates operation during puncture or mechanical regulatory group is spearheading a safety program program asafety spearheading is group regulatory regular occurrence in highly stressed furnaces. stressed highly in occurrence regular upper shells and roofs consist of an external support support external of an consist roofs upper and shells How EAF Steam Explosions Occur Explosions Steam EAF How becomes problematic when leaks crop up — a fairly up crop —a fairly when problematic becomes leaks help the furnace withstand the extremely high oper high extremely the withstand help furnace the holes, in which event water at very high pressure and and pressure high event at very which holes, in water high-pressure water pumped through them to provide provide to them through pumped water high-pressure melt, they tended to break apart as furnaces began began furnaces as apart tended break melt, to they more rapidly. multiple tube panels hung on the inside of the spider. of the inside hung on the panels multiple tube explosions. cooling. Most of the tubular systems used to cool EAF cool to EAF used systems tubular cooling. of the Most with panels of tubular a system components with of use added the with and pressures, and peratures it is first necessary to look at how EAF cooling technol cooling look to at how EAF necessary it first is enough large in into ahot Water furnace leaks inator: possibly high volumes may enter the furnace even volumes enter may high furnace the possibly quantities to become superheated and trigger avio trigger become to superheated and quantities lent steam explosion. To understand how this occurs, occurs, lent explosion. To how steam this understand leaks are sometimes caused when an errant arc strike strike arc errant when an caused sometimes are leaks ating temperatures within. Though the bricks did not did bricks the Though within. temperatures ating fatigue, which is inherent to the heavily welded con heavily inherent is the to which fatigue, supplemental chemical energy. chemical supplemental struction required to build these panels. Alternatively, Alternatively, panels. these build to required struction supply and return headers, with an arrangement of arrangement an with headers, return supply and water cooling the doubles or “spider” as that structure Figure 1 The solution was to protect EAF roofs and other other and roofs protect EAF to solution was The Older-style EAFs used refractory brick liners to to liners brick refractory used EAFs Older-style Most leaks begin as small cracks caused by thermal bythermal caused cracks small as begin leaks Most ------In the early 1980s, the introduction of anew non- introduction the 1980s, early the In outer structural carbon steel cover, dust carbon inner an and outer structural operates at a roughly 30 psi cooling water supply pres water cooling psi 30 at a roughly operates can capacity Cooling system. spray the out affecting with replaced hot be may the plate outer shell that so of Spray-Cooled™, was installed at Timken Steel Steel at Timken installed was of Spray-Cooled™, of high heat removal rates. Cooling water is distrib is water Cooling rates. heatof removal high jet dropletand spray Liquid heat transfer. optimal of steel and boils off. The problem occurs when the when the problem The occurs off. boils of steel and used in spray cooling is a double-walled design that that design adouble-walled is cooling spray in used uted according to the varying heat load demands heat demands load varying the to according uted using this technology, known by the trade name name trade bythe known technology, this using throughout the equipment. All of the available water water available of the equipment.throughout All the of water amount the byadjusting changed readily be header. The entire piping network is attached to the the to header. attached piping network is entire The (Fig. 1). locks the feeds inlet Asingle cam header with Non-Pressurized Cooling — A Safer Alternative —ASafer Cooling Non-Pressurized the offgas and detect irregularities. and offgas the that can blow the roof off a furnace and send steam, send steam, and afurnace off blow roof the can that it converting water, the immediately encapsulate to molten sloshing metal the cause can action This ties. water. Cooling water is supplied at the same supply same supplied at the is water water. Cooling vice today. The general configuration of equipment configuration today. general The vice maintenance-friendly alternative to pressurized tubu pressurized to alternative maintenance-friendly with tubular systems has been to install an electronic electronic an install to been has systems tubular with metal-making industry and have been proven have been and capable industry metal-making for required turbulence the provides that velocity water than ment rather nozzles spray produced bythe monitoring system to measure the water content water the of measure to system monitoring molten steel and debris flying hundreds of feet and hundreds flying molten debris steel and includes a replaceable inner carbon steel hot face, an steel hot an face, carbon includes areplaceable inner is thereby used efficiently and effectively. and efficiently thereby used is hot of the inch plate square every to temperature inlet water, =more =less hot cool spots spots identified: piping and spray nozzles, which are removable using removable using are which nozzles, spray piping and ser in still is 1986 and in Ohio, USA, Canton, in asafer, offered more technology cooling pressurized erate an explosion if it sits on top of the molten bath molten on it top of the bath sits explosion if an erate impingement cooling have been widely used in the the in used impingement widely have been cooling equipment. of the area aparticular in distributed detachable spray bars that connect to a water supply connect awater to that bars spray detachable placing people and equipment people and at risk. placing its original volume, generating a violent explosion explosion violent a generating volume, original its 1,700 more to times than It expands then into steam. lar water cooling. The first commercial EAF roof roof EAF commercial first cooling. The water lar furnace rocks or tilts for pouring out steel or impuri for pouring or tilts rocks furnace space that sprays water on the backside of the hot of the face. backside on the water sprays that space annulus the in system spray brass steel and stainless sure at the nozzle heads; however, heads; nozzle at the water whensure the The spray system is an arrangement of non-corrosive of non-corrosive arrangement an is system spray The The primary approach for avoiding explosions for approach explosions avoiding primary The With non-pressurized spray cooling, equipment cooling, spray non-pressurized With it droplet impinge is system, anon-pressurized With Water pouring into a furnace will not in itself gen not itself in will into a furnace Water pouring ------33 Figure 2 Reduced Operating Costs, Greater Longevity

Furnace roof life varies greatly depend- ing on operating conditions. The life of the cooling system and basic structure is virtually indefinite. The hot face of a roof (or any piece of equipment) is a wear item, so with spray cooling the equipment is designed (a) (b) to be rebuilt with only the hot face Leak in a non-pressurized spray cooling system (a) vs. leak in a pressurized being periodically replaced — a key tubular system (b) (5 gallons/hour vs. 16,000 gallons/hour). advantage over pressurized tubular equipment, which must be completely discarded and replaced when it is leaves the spray system it is at atmospheric pressure, worn out. Typically a customer can save 65–85% by as compared to typically 60 psi for pressurized tubu- rebuilding versus replacing as would be required lar equipment. The significance is that, in the event with tubular. The ability to repeatedly rebuild equip- of a crack or leak, spray cooling will not force high ment at a fraction of the cost of replacement, coupled volumes of water into the furnace as a pressurized with the decreased downtime, typically makes return tubular system does. For a comparable cooling supply on investment extremely attractive and the payback flowrate, tubular equipment will introduce more than period very short — usually 1 year and sometimes as 3,000 times more water into a furnace than a spray little as 6 months. cooling system. The life of the hot face is directly related to the For example, a 2-square-inch hole in a tubular application. For example, a southern U.S. steel mill panel operating at 60 psi will force approximately using spray cooling on two 165-ton, 170-MVA fur- 16,000 gallons per hour into the furnace. By compari- naces reported using the roofs continuously for more son, the same 2-square-inch hole in the spray cooling than 10,000 heats over roughly 16 months with no practice will introduce less than 5 gallons into the downtime and virtually no maintenance required. furnace in the same hour. In minimizing the chance An off-furnace duct using spray cooling in the same of excess water entering the furnace, non-pressurized meltshop is still in continuous operation after more spray cooling addresses the root cause of EAF acci- than 50,000 heats and 8+ million tons without any dents in a proactive and preventive manner (Fig. 2). associated downtime or appreciable maintenance. Explosion prevention is not the only safety benefit Other world-class ultrahigh-power (UHP) furnace of non-pressurized cooling. Another key advantage operators have routinely experienced well over 5,000 is the ability to make repairs from outside the equip- heats on their EAF roofs before requiring a rebuild. ment. When a crack or leak in a tubular panel needs Equipment life spans of 10–15 years are quite normal, to be repaired, the maintenance crew is typically though some roofs have been in service for more than required to suppress the heat within the furnace, put 26 years. down insulating boards, and enter the furnace in By contrast, a tubular EAF roof might typically last thermal suits to attempt the repair. 1–2 years, though the life span can be even shorter in With spray cooling, this scenario is eliminated — severe applications. With some designs, it is possible the thin-walled plate construction of the hot plate just to replace the inner panels when they wear out utilizes minimal welds (unlike the heavily welded tubular panels), rounded or chamfered corners, and mechanical forming that make equipment less suscep- Figure 3 JAN 2017 tible to stress fatigue cracking. If small holes or cracks appear, they can be temporarily patched or welded I from the outside with no need for furnace downtime. IRON & STEEL TECHNOLOGY Permanent repairs to the hot plate can be postponed until the end of a production cycle or when downtime is scheduled for maintenance on other equipment to minimize unscheduled downtime. I AIST.ORG

Typical spray cooling roof. 34 JAN 2017 I IRON & STEEL TECHNOLOGY I AIST.ORG (generally in 6–12 months), and the spider months), the or super and 6–12 in (generally Spray-cooled furnace and duct. Safety First oxygen usage and production. Duct life was averag was life Duct production. and usage oxygen non-pressurized spray cooling. The mill has found has mill cooling. The spray non-pressurized resulting in cost savings for a mill involves amajor for amill cost savings in resulting that the non-pressurized ducts are lasting over 4 times over 4times lasting are ducts non-pressurized the that month. The mill replaced the pressurized tubular tubular pressurized the replaced mill month. The cases 5 years is about the maximum life expectancy. life maximum about the is 5years cases ing only 2–3 months, with some new ducts lasting as as lasting some new ducts with months, 2–3 only ing duct sections (D1/D2duct sections =10 section feet x7 0inches downtime of 40 hours per month per furnace and and month per furnace per hours of 40 downtime longer and can be rebuilt and placed back in service service in back placed and rebuilt be longer can and little as 6 weeks. This resulted in average production production average in resulted This 6 weeks. as little due increased to ducts tubular pressurized with life average monthly maintenance of 64 man-hours per per man-hours of 64 maintenance monthly average feet 8 inches x 8 feet 5 inches ID) with ducts utilizing utilizing ducts feet with x8feet 8inches ID) 5inches =10 (ID), D3 section feet diameter inside 9inches steel mill that was experiencing very short service short service very experiencing was that steel mill structure at less frequent intervals, but even in these but these even in frequent intervals, at less structure Table 2 Non-pressurized spray cooling, second campaign: 9,410 heats campaign: second cooling, spray Non-pressurized Non-pressu ID 5inches x8feet 8inches 10 feet section: D3 dimensions, Duct (ID) diameter inside 9inches x7feet 0inches 10 feet section: D1/D2 dimensions, Duct Notes: Duct replacement/reliningcost to waterleaks Average productiondowntimedue Cost-Saving Duct Replacement Example: Economic Analysis (2.2 milliontons/year) Cost pertonofsteelproduced Average maintenancelabor Total savings Figure 4 One example of non-pressurized spray cooling cooling spray of non-pressurized One example rized spray cooling, first campaign: 9,350 heats 9,350 campaign: first cooling, spray rized 40 hours/monthper Pressurized/tubular US$0.25 perton (3-year period) 64 man-hours/ US$1,650,000 duct sections furnace month US$440,000/year x3years=US$1,320,00 Non-pressurized ductswithspraycooling US$330,000 (3-yearperiod) 0 hours/monthperfurnace - - 2 man-hours/month US$0.05 perton US$1,320,000 over a 3-year period (Table period 2). over a3-year US$1,320,000 EAF sidewalls, EAF roofs, fourth-hole elbows, off elbows, fourth-hole roofs, EAF sidewalls, EAF ogy has expanded to include basically every type of type every include to basically expanded has ogy naces worldwide across six continents. The technol The continents. six across worldwide naces on fur applications retrofit now new found and in be to US$0.05 per ton after converting to spray cooling, cooling, spray to converting ton after per US$0.05 to and reduced downtime considering 6months than water-cooled equipment ameltshop, upper in such as water-cooled Market Update Market maintenance costs decreased from US$0.25 per ton per US$0.25 from decreased costs maintenance duct their that have reported They costs. maintenance estimate that the payback on this project was less less project was on this payback the that estimate at a fraction of the cost of new tubular ducts. They They ducts. cost of new tubular of the at afraction Since its inception in the 1980s, the acceptance of acceptance the 1980s, the in inception its Since for an annual savings of US$440,000 per year, totaling year, per totaling of US$440,000 savings annual for an spray cooling has grown, and this equipment can equipment can this and grown, has cooling spray (BSW) and many others. In In others. many and (BSW) Acerinox, Badisch Stahlwerke Stahlwerke Badisch Acerinox, Vaal Works, ISCOR Kumba, Kumba, Works, ISCOR Vaal (LMF) roofs and hoods. and roofs (LMF) (OneSteel, Smorgen),(OneSteel, Steel ISCOR Heavy Metals. ket, many industry experts experts industry ket, many Richards Bay Minerals and and Minerals Bay Richards Inc., ProfilARBED, Dynamics Kobernuss, an independent independent an Kobernuss, 1990s since the operation regard non-pressurized spray spray non-pressurized regard the smelting industry, roofs roofs industry, smelting the have been in continuoushave in been cooling to be the best avail best the be to cooling able technology today. David today. David able technology ISCOR Sands, at Namakwa duct installations offgas and AK Steel Corp., Gerdau, Gerdau, Corp., Steel AK still dominate the mar the dominate still Timken, United States Steel Steel UnitedTimken, States Corporation, Daido, Daehan Daehan Daido, Corporation, Consteel ognized steelmakers in the the in steelmakers ognized rization (AOD) and hoods, rization duct and hoods (BOF) nace work, argon oxygen decarbu oxygen work, argon world, including Nucorworld, including Corp., chambers, basic oxygen fur oxygen basic chambers, spray hoods, car connecting cooling is being used success used being is cooling ladle metallurgy furnace furnace metallurgy ladle gas ducts, dropout chambers, chambers, dropout ducts, gas Steel, Hyundai Steel, BHP BHP Steel, Hyundai Steel, ArcelorMittal, Severstal, fully by some of the most rec most by some of the fully Though tubular systems systems tubular Though Non-pressurized spray spray Non-pressurized ® pre-heater and pre-heater ------35 consultant who has served as an expert witness in • Check gravity drains regularly to make sure accident investigations, states: “The better and safer they are functioning properly. state-of-the-art equipment is to use a low-pressure • Use metallized jackets or other safety apparel to water spray that cools the shell walls from the outside. protect workers from harmful burns. Any errant electric arc that would hit the wall, that results in a crack in the wall, will only cause a ‘dribble’ In conclusion, the use of safer operating technolo- of water to enter the furnace. This low volume will be gies such as non-pressurized spray cooling offers a easily evaporated by the hot furnace atmosphere. Also, win-win proposition. It helps to keep workers out of any crack can be easily repaired from outside the fur- harm’s way while reducing the potential for property nace with little associated downtime.” damage, costly fines and litigation. As an added ben- As recognition grows for the safety advantages of efit, such technologies can increase furnace uptime non-pressurized cooling, several of the facilities that and reduce operating costs for improved production have experienced explosions in the past are working yields and greater profitability. toward solutions that utilize spray cooling.

References Safety Strategies 1. D. Kobernuss, “Case Studies of 23 Workplace Accidents and Their A review of reports on EAF explosions reveals that a Causes,” AISTech 2015 Conference Proceedings, Vol. II, 2015, pp. 1627–1643. variety of conditions have led to OSHA fines and/or 2. “1 Dead, 4 Injured in Explosion at Steel Mill in Northwest Indiana,” litigation from injured employees or their families in Chicago Tribune, 8 January 2010, http://articles.chicagotribune. incidents like the ones reported earlier. Among these com/2010-01-08/news/1001080035_1_beta-steel-steel-mill-tank- are: explosion. 3. “Three Injured in Pennsylvania Steel Plant Explosion,” EAFNEWS.com, 28 May 2013, http://www.eafnews.com/injured-pennsylvania-steel- • Failure to have a supervisor on the shift at the plant-explosion. time of the explosion. 4. “Northwest Indiana steelworker deaths,” NWI.com, 9 January 2010, • Lack of a monitoring system in the furnace to http://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/lake/northwest-indiana-steel- detect accumulation of water or explosive gases. worker-deaths/article_3e009562-005c-55c9-b46c-91e10f5bc731.html. • Failure to properly maintain the furnace. 5. U.S. Occupational Safety & Health Administration, “Accident: 201159506 – Report ID: 0950633 – Event Date: 03/16/2004,” https:// • Failure to require furnace operators to wear www.osha.gov/pls/imis/accidentsearch.accident_detail?id=201159506. aluminized jackets or other protective gear. 6. U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration, “Accident: • Failure to investigate similar but smaller explo- 202004982 – Report ID: 0317000 – Event Date: 05/26/2007,” sive incidents where there were no injuries. https://www.osha.gov/pls/imis/accidentsearch.accident_detail ?id=202004982. • Failure to apply best available technology to 7. “Explosion at Gerdau Ameristeel Injures Six Workers,” Steel safeguard employees. Market Update, 17 May 2014, https://www.steelmarketupdate.com/ news/4049-explosion-at-gerdau-ameristeel-injures-six-workers. Even the safest equipment does not preclude the 8. J. Lipari, “Steel Mill Safety & Health: A Lawyer’s Perspective,” AISTech need for an overall preventive safety program that 2014 Conference Proceedings, Vol. I, 2014, pp. 43–53. includes, among other things, ongoing monitoring, 9. U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board, “Carbide Industries Fire and Explosion: Final Report,” 7 February 2013, http:// vigilance and common sense. Here are some general www.csb.gov/carbide-industries-fire-explosion. recommendations for optimizing safety in any facility: 10. U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board, “U.S. CSB Budget Justification, Fiscal Year 2014,” 10 April 2013, http://www. • Periodic visual inspections during routine walk- csb.gov/assets/1/7/FY_2014_Congressional_Budget_Justification_-_ Final_4-10-2013.pdf. downs should be performed to look for cracks, 11. “E. Tenn. Steel Mill Fine Over Fatal Explosion,” The Washington Times, holes, or indications of water buildup on the 23 September 2014, http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2014/

furnace roof or other surfaces. sep/23/e-tenn-steel-mill-fine-over-fatal-explosion/#ixzz3e700vP00. JAN 2017 • Small holes or cracks should be patched or 12. “Industrial Accident at Coatesville Factory Leaves 3 Injured,” WPVI-TV, welded immediately to prevent them from 24 May 2013, http://6abc.com/archive/9114510. F I

growing larger. IRON & STEEL TECHNOLOGY I AIST.ORG