Flash Fires at Tennessee Metal Powder Plant Resulted From Dust Accumulations, CSB Says

Accumulations of combustible metal dust led to two flash fires at the Hoeganaes Corp. plant in Gallatin, Tenn., that killed one worker and injured two others this year, the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board announced May 11.

Chemical Safety Board officials made the announcement after touring the facility a day earlier and meeting with Gallatin’s mayor, company personnel, and victims’ families. The board and the Tennessee Occupational Safety and Health Administration began investigating the facility after the Jan. 31 incident. Two months later, on March 29, a similar accident occurred that injured one more worker.

In the course ...