A fire broke out and a zinc dust explosion occurred at 7.45 am in a metallisation booth at a surface treatment company just after a technician had rushed out of the booth after being burned by a flashback from the metallising spray gun that he was using. Supplied by propane and oxygen for melting the zinc and by air for spraying it, this spraying equipment did not have a ‘dead-man’s’ switch, therefore it could have started the fire after falling. The fire-fighters turned off the O2 and gas supply cylinders then controlled the fire despite the white smoke that was making the intervention visually difficult. During the afternoon, the emergency services intervened again on wisps of smoke that had been seen emanating from the booth’s insulation. According to the operator, a constriction of the air pipe followed by a sudden release of gas may have caused the flashback. The gun’s air and gas supply and cut-off control may also have been faulty. The technician, who had 2nd degree burns to his hands despite his gloves, was hospitalised. Confined to the booth, the material damage was estimated at €50,000. The inspection authorities for classified facilities recommended a formal notification order in order to obtain compliance with the obligations to clean the dust from the metal spraying booth and submit a change of operator declaration.