Date: December 19, 2018
Location: Lorain, Ohio (USA)
Address: 3000 Leavitt Road, 44052
Type: Dust Explosion
Fuel: Unknown
Industry: Steel Products Provider (Manufacturing)
Equipment: Mixing Container
Company: P.C. Campana
Database Incidents: None Recorded
Loss: No Injuries
Capital Cost: Unknown
Status: Open
Confirmation: Unconfirmed
Company Description:
According to the company website, P.C. Campana is a provider for the steel, foundry supplies, and tube supplier industries across the globe. It was founded in 1969 and has four divisions: Caldo Division (welding and burning products), Tubular Products, Mini Riser Division (foundry supplies) and the Alloy Cored Wire Division. The dust explosion took place at the Alloy Cored Wire Division facility.
Incident Description:
On December 20, 2018, The Chronicle reported a dust explosion at a steel industry supplier in Lorain, Ohio.
Firefighters responded to the explosion at around 2:00 p.m. A fire captain later said that approximately 5,000 lbs of calcium silicate were being mixed from two containers, creating a small dust cloud that somehow ignited.
He said that the heat from the explosion caused plastic items in the vicinity to catch fire. Workers fought the fire using carbon dioxide extinguishers until the fire crews arrived. There was a lot of smoke, but the fire captain believed that it came from the burning plastic and not the explosion.
No injuries were reported and the cause of the explosion is under investigation.
Research Team Note:
Calcium silicate on its own is not believed to be combustible. It is currently unclear if the mixture contained other compounds or if dust external to the mixing containers ignited. The fuel has been changed to unknown for this incident.
Sources:
The Chronicle
