Date: November 1, 2018
Location: Lynchburg, Virginia (USA)
Address: 2000 Enterprise Drive, 24551
Type: Dust Explosion
Fuel: Plastic Dust
Industry: Thermoplastic Composites Manufacturer
Equipment: Welder
Company: Hanwha Azdel
Database Incidents: None Recorded
Loss: No Injuries
Capital Cost: Unknown
Status: Open
Confirmation: Unconfirmed
Company Description:
According to the company website, Hanwha Azdel manufactures thermoplastic composites for the automotive industry and other transportation applications. Established in 1972, it is an affiliate of Hanwha Advanced Materials Corporation, which is a company of Hanwha Group, a Korean company with 50,000 employees worldwide.
Incident Description:
On November 1, 2018, WSET reported a dust explosion at a thermoplastic composites manufacturer in Lynchburg, Virginia.
The fire department stated that employees were welding a new rod on top of an oven when the welding arc ignited a dust explosion in the roof system’s insulation. The sprinkler system was activated, and the firefighters were able to extinguish the flames.
The Lynchburg Department of Emergency Services confirmed that the 2000 block of Enterprise Drive was shut down briefly.
No injuries were reported. The value of any property damage is unknown.
OSHA Inspections:
An establishment search turned up one OSHA inspection for Hanwha Azdel, but it was not reported to involve combustible dust.
Sources:
WSET
