Pollution
Humain
Environnement
Economique

At around 1:30 p.m., a fire broke out in the filter of a shot-blasting machine at a company that manufactures gears and mechanical transmission components. Maintenance was being performed on the machine when the fire occurred. The burning shot-blast dust in the blasting machine’s filtration system caused thick smoke to billow from the buildings. The contractor working on the shot-blasting machine alerted the nearby technicians. One of them attempted to put out the fire with an extinguisher, but was unsuccessful. A large contingent of firefighters arrived at the scene. The cost to bring the damaged shot-blasting machine back up to filtration standards was €3,350.

Just before the fire, a contractor was performing work to repair the shield plates inside the shot-blasting machine and connect it to the filtration system. A hot-work permit had not been issued. The contractor used a grinder to remove an unwanted burr. Sparks entered the shot-blasting machine’s suction chamber. Moreover, the fire extinguishers on site were not suitable for metal fires and the audible alarm did not go off.

After the fire, the operator provided his employees with awareness and training in how to respond to emergencies (use of personal protection equipment (PPE), evacuation of the building). The fire-suppression system was checked. The emergency instructions were updated. A real-world fire drill was conducted.