Fire In A Multi-Floor Screen House

Information:

During routine maintenance two workers were replacing the rubber skirts in a screen on the top floor of the screen house.

The job called for a hot work permit with associated confined space requirements for the hot work as they planned to use oxyacetylene equipment to cut the retaining bolts. After the bolts had been cut and the hot work completed in accordance with the permit and other requirements, including a five-minute fire watch, the workers went to the workshop to make up the new rubber skirts.

After about 30 minutes two other employees noticed a large fire in the screen house. They attempted to extinguish the fire using portable fire extinguishers and a small on-site hose. The fire was so intense that they were driven back by the heat and smoke. Another two employees arrived to assist using portable fire extinguishers, and they were also driven back and could only fight some small fires caused by the main conveyor belt burning through, breaking and running backwards to the conveyor tail end thus causing molten rubber to fly around the area.

The fire brigade was called and eventually the fire was extinguished. The fire had caused considerable damage to the screen house and conveyor system. The two employees who found the fire suffered minor smoke inhalation and were taken to hospital for observation and later released without complications.

Organisation:

Department of Natural Resources and Mines

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Jurisdiction:

Relates to Queensland (QLD)

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