Metals and Metal Processing Incidents¶
Metal processing operations — foundries, smelters, rolling mills, and fabrication shops — involve molten metal, combustible metal dusts, and high-energy equipment that create explosion, fire, and steam-explosion hazards. CSB investigations document how water intrusion into molten metal and combustible metal dust accumulation have led to catastrophic accidents, including the 2011 AL Solutions titanium dust explosion.
10 CSB investigations in this database cover the metals sector, spanning 1998–2024.
Metals and Metal Processing Incidents (10)¶
| Incident | Date | Location | Key Hazards |
|---|---|---|---|
| AL Solutions Fatal Dust Explosion | 12/09/2010 | New Cumberland, WV | Dust Explosion, Fire |
| Hayes Lemmerz Dust Explosions and Fire | 10/29/2003 | Huntington, IN | Dust Explosion, Fire |
| Horsehead Holding Company Fatal Explosion and Fire | 07/22/2010 | Monaca, PA | Explosion, Fire |
| TS USA Molten Salt Eruption | 05/30/2024 | — | Explosion, Overpressure |
| Kaltech Industries Waste Mixing Explosion | 04/25/2002 | New York , NY | Runaway Reaction, Explosion |
| Carbide Industries Fire and Explosion | 03/21/2011 | Louisville, KY | Explosion, Overpressure |
| Technic Inc. Ventilation System Explosion | 02/07/2003 | Cranston, RI | Explosion, Fire |
| Bethlehem Steel Corporation Gas Condensate Fire | 02/02/2001 | Chesterton, IN | Fire, Explosion |
| Hoeganaes Corporation Fatal Flash Fires | 01/31/2011 | Gallatin, TN | Flash Fire, Dust Explosion |
| Watson Grinding Fatal Explosion and Fire | 01/24/2020 | Houston, TX | Chemical Release, Explosion |
Frequently Involved Hazard Types¶
Fire · Explosion · Overpressure · Chemical Release · Dust Explosion · Structural Failure
Most Common Chemicals Involved¶
Flammable Gas, Natural Gas, Combustible Dust, Hydrogen, Flammable Liquid, Nitrogen
Data sourced from CSB.gov public investigation reports. This site is an independent project not affiliated with the U.S. CSB.