Columbus Stainless explosion at slag handling site
“Columbus Stainless, a member of the Acerinox SA Group of companies, experienced an explosion on Sunday, 24 January, at its slag handling operation in Middelburg,” Mr Johan Strydom, Columbus Stainless CEO, said in a statement.
The explosion was felt in most parts of the town at approximately 13:15 in the afternoon.
The preliminary investigation, which was held with all stakeholders involved, indicated a number of unusual contributing factors that caused the explosion.
The main contributing factor identified was the excessive rain which resulted in higher than usual moisture in the slag tipping station.
During the discharging of the slag pot, the hot slag reacted with the moisture in the tipping station and caused the explosion. This resulted in both vehicle and property damage, which were both close to the explosion.
Fortunately, no employee or contractor was injured.
During the investigation, additional measures were identified to further mitigate any potential risk to the operation and personnel.
Columbus Stainless senior management and contractors responsible for the slag handling operation responded swiftly and rushed to site after the incident occurred.
After the preliminary investigation was concluded and the area was deemed safe, operations recommenced immediately.
“The safety of our employees and all contractors working on site is our first priority. An in-depth investigation will be conducted to ensure that there is no reoccurrence of a similar incident in the future,” said Mr Strydom.
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