A Chemical Safety Board (CSB) team is headed to a steel facility in Tennessee to investigate the second flash fire there within three months.
The lastest incident at the Hoeganaes Corporation facility in Gallatin, Tennessee occurred during maintenance on a burner, according to the CSB.
CSB Investigator-in-Charge Johnnie Banks said, “We are concerned that we are looking at a second serious incident within a short period of time at this facility. We will be looking at whether these two accidents share a root cause and indicate broader safety issues that may need to be addressed.”
One worker was fatally injured and another seriously burned as a result of a January 31 incident at the site.
Banks and his team are scheduled to arrive in Gallatin this evening to begin conducting interviews with eyewitnesses and documenting site conditions.
The Hoeganaes facility is largest major producer of atomized steel powder.
The CSB is an independent federal agency charged with investigating serious chemical accidents. The agency's board members are appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate. CSB investigations look into all aspects of chemical accidents, including physical causes such as equipment failure as well as inadequacies in regulations, industry standards, and safety management systems.
