Events leading up to Federal Mogul Explosion

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From http://www2.wsls.com WSLS10 Roanoak, VA, here is "the rest of the story".

Events leading up to Federal Mogul Explosion: "WSLS has obtained more information through the Virginia Freedom of Information Act."
By ERIN BARNETT
Published: June 24, 2011
In information obtained through the Virginia Freedom of Information Act, WSLS has learned more about the December explosion at the Federal Mogul plant in Blacksburg.
According to inspectors the explosion happened inside a 14 inch diameter exhaust ventilation duct.
The ducts were inspected in early November. Federal Mogul employee said could not remember if mention of the explosivity of aluminum dust to inspectors or not.
Then inspectors submitted a request to Federal Mogul to do an inspection of the exhaust ducts, also in November, but according to the report, due to work schedules at Federal Mogul the inspection kept getting pushed back until it was accomplished on December 30.
The inspection revealed only one exhaust duct needed cleaning of the 8 that were inspected/ This duct was on bonding line number two and it exhausted aluminum dust from the operation, so it was scheduled for cleaning the next day, December 31.
Technicians doing the cleaning estimated the duct was half full of debris build up, and there was no immediate knowledge at Federal Mogul of the duct have been cleaned in the past.
Duct was cleaned by vacuuming. The section of the duct which ran back into the machine had been successfully cleaned, and the crew was now cleaning the section fo the duct which ran into the bag house, when one crew member asked to turn the suction down on the vacuum.
Then fire and explosion happened, after a pipe was put in. Two people on the lift were burned, then fire traveled through the vacuum line to the truck andset part of the truck on fire.

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