An experimental run to exclude the flammable part of the convert gas had just been finished and the unitv was shut down but following a faulty procedure (the turn-off was carried out in a wrong order). The unit was then used for normal operation and had just been started when an ignition in the electrofilter caused an explosion. This caused a short circuit of the wire connecting gas cooler and E-filter and the upper part of the gas cooler was torn off by the explosion. The accident occurred after an expemerintal run in a metallurgic industry for the steel production. The system involved included the gas cooler and the wet electrofilter. – Carbon Monoxide (C.A.S. CODE: 630-08-0): amount involved = not known.

The immediate cause has been identified as faulty operation in the shut-down procedure of the experimental run. The shut-down of the unit did not occur in the right order and, due to the lack of an interlocking device, vacuum occurred when the unit was start-up. Air was sucked in through the waterlockunderpressure safety device to the gas cooler and the wet electrofilter, resulting in an explosion.

The explosion caused extensive damages to the plant and, outside the establishment, the windows breakage up to 50 metres from the installation. No data are available about the cost of the material damages.

After the accident the following measures were established:
1- insurance against faulty operation through interlocking device;
2- to improve the techniques for measurement and control to avoid formation of low pressure.