Some workers told relatives they smelled natural gas before the blast, although the gas utility UGI says it received no reports of a gas leak.
The Associated PressLast week’s fatal blast at a Pennsylvania chocolate factory highlighted the combustibility of food plants in general and chocolate making in particular.
In general, commercial ovens and furnaces, commercial refrigerant using ammonia and combustible dust produced by ingredients like cocoa powder and corn starch are primary explosive hazards at food plants, according to Holly Burgess, technical lead for industrial and chemical safety at the National Fire Protection Association, a nonprofit group that produces hundreds of codes and standards.
“It is a common concern at many food production facilities handling fine combustible particulates,” said Bob Zalosh, a retired professor at Worcester Polytechnic Institute and a consultant on industrial fire and explosion hazard mitigation and investigations. The shock wave from an initial explosion could have jarred any dust accumulated on ceilings and other surfaces, he said. “And now you end up with a massive amount of starch, which combusts, and those explosion clouds move faster than sound and they have unbelievable force,” said Wakefield, who made his assessment after watching video of the explosion that was captured by a TV station’s weather camera.
In 2019, OSHA investigated an accident at Palmer’s plant in nearby Wyomissing, Pennsylvania, when a conveyor belt was turned on while a worker was cleaning a roller, according to federal records. The employee’s arm was broken in multiple places. The company settled with OSHA for $26,000.
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