Explosion in a Surface Treatment Plant
The incident occurred in a facility chrome-plating metals. At the time of the event, a metal roller was being chrome-plated. A short circuit occurred due to a defective contacting (contact rails) on the rectifier. This short circuit caused a spark to reach the surface of the electrolyte bath, and the spark ignited the hydrogen produced during chrome plating, causing an explosion.Various windows within the company were destroyed, but nobosy was injured.
Event Date
October 18, 2006
Record Quality Indicator
Region / Country
Event Initiating System
Classification of the Physical Effects
Nature of the Consequences
Causes
Cause Comments
The immediate/direct cause is a defective rectifier contact which spark-ignited the hydrogen produced during the chrome plating process.
Facility Information
Application Type
Application
Specific Application Supply Chain Stage
Components Involved
rectifier, chrome-plating facility
Storage/Process Medium
Location Type
Location description
Unknown
Operational Condition
Lessons Learned
Lessons Learned
CORRECTIVE MEASUREIncreased control of the contacts on all rectifiers in operation.Isolation of the rectifiers using a new cover.Use of another wetting agent (low foam).
Event Nature
Emergency Action
The rectifier was switched off. A call from the neighborhood to the police was forwarded to the fire department, which was on site within 10 minutes. After the situation was clarified, the emergency services moved away again.
Release Type
Release Substance
Hydrogen Release Concentration (%)
100.00
Detonation
No
Deflagration
No
High Pressure Explosion
No
High Voltage Explosion
No
Source Category
References
References
Event from Germal database ZEMA
https://www.infosis.uba.de/index.php/en/site/13947/zema/index.html
https://www.infosis.uba.de/index.php/en/binaries/asset/zema_ereignis/33…
(accessed December 2023)