The steel and iron industries have proud histories. In many ways, steel and iron were the economic engines that drove the development of our cities and provided work and a better life for many Americans. To this day, foundries still produce a number of different metal products used in industries all across the country.

As the steel and iron industries have advanced with the years, though, safety regulations within them have struggled to keep up with the times. Working in a foundry is inherently dangerous due to the extremely high temperatures — often in excess of 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit — reached by the molten metal used to produce steel, iron, and metal alloys. When safety standards and protocols are not given the fullest attention, the present dangers will only worsen.

COMMON FOUNDRY HAZARDS

There are several different types of melting furnaces used in foundries, and they all present unique hazards.

Different types of furnaces and the potential dangers they cause:

• Arc furnaces utilize electric arcs (like bolts of lightning) that can reach temperatures hotter than the sun.
• Reverberatory furnaces use combustible gases that can explode if they are not properly contained.
• Induction furnaces use water-cooled coils to produce an electromagnetic field that turns solid metal into a molten state.

The use of water in a foundry can be particularly dangerous, too. Due to the high temperatures of molten metal, any water or liquid that comes into contact with the metal bath will immediately flash to steam and expand at a great rate, which can cause the metal to erupt out of the furnace. For this reason, the introduction of moisture into a furnace presents probably the greatest hazard to foundry workers.

FOUNDRY EXPLOSIONS CAUSED BY NEGLIGENCE

Foundry explosions caused by moisture in a furnace should not happen if all safety rules are followed to the letter. When safety is forgotten or relaxed even a little bit, water-based foundry explosions can still occur in a number of ways. For instance, a supplier of raw materials for use in a furnace might negligently fail to make sure that its products are free of moisture or wet materials. Or, if a furnace with a water-cooled component is defective or not properly designed, the results can be catastrophic.

At Glenda Cochran Associates, we have extensive experience investigating explosions involving a number of different types of furnaces and have proudly represented individuals injured while working in foundries. If you or someone you know has been injured or killed in a foundry explosion or fire, you should seek legal counsel immediately. Contact our law firm and see how we can help – we work with explosion injury clients nationwide.

In the last decade, there has been a rash of natural gas explosions in America caused by failures in cast iron pipelines. At Glenda Cochran Associates, we have represented a number of individuals injured in cast iron pipeline explosions, which are only likely to increase over time if cast iron pipelines are not replaced by upgraded, newer systems.

As America’s infrastructure grew during the last century, a large number of natural gas distribution pipelines were constructed using cast iron pipe. As this cast iron ages, however, a distinct and dangerous hazard presents a new risk to the public: the phenomenon of graphitization.

WHAT IS GRAPHITIZATION & WHY IS IT DANGEROUS?

Graphitization occurs when older cast iron pipelines corrode due to normal environmental exposure. It can and often does result in catastrophic leaks throughout a pipe system, which can lead to fires and explosions. The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), a sub-department within the United States Department of Transportation (DOT), has explained the hazard associated with cast iron pipelines, stating:

“Cast iron pipe, when graphitized, is relatively brittle, which allows far more dramatic failure modes such as rapid crack propagation and circumferential breaks. Such failures are potentially more severe than more ductile failure modes commonly seen in today’s pipe materials.” [PHMSA’s “192 Corrosion Enforcement Guidance” at 134 (2014)]

NECESSARY STEPS TO REPAIR GRAPHITIZATION

Because of the hazards associated with cast iron pipe, natural gas pipeline operators are required by federal regulations to replace any portion of an iron or ductile iron pipe with enough graphitization to increase the chances of a crack or leak to form there. Where graphitization is localized within the pipework, repairs or replacement must also be conducted as soon as possible, according to the legal statute 49 C.F.R. § 192.489 (1971). Additionally, pipeline operators are required to visually inspect its cast iron pipelines for corrosion and graphitization any time that they are exposed.

In 1991, PHMSA’s predecessor, the DOT’s Research and Special Programs Administration (“RSPA”), issued a Pipeline Safety Alert Notice (the “1991 Alert Notice”) to the owners and operators of natural gas pipelines regarding an explosion caused by a crack in a 4-inch cast iron gas main. This notice required gas and oil companies to create new safety programs that would repair or replace the iron pipes throughout their systems based on a reasonably paced timeline.

Each company’s timeline would be determined by various conditions of their pipelines, such as:

• Age
• Diameter
• Depth
• Average system pressure
• Surrounding soil acidity
• History of leaks and defects

In 2012, PHMSA published an Advisory Bulletin reiterating the importance of cast iron monitoring and replacement. According to the bulletin pipeline operators were instructed to increase their efforts to repair or replace “high-risk” cast iron pipes, as well as to revisit their replacement programs to ensure the aforementioned factors were accurately considered. [Pipeline Safety: Cast Iron Pipe (Supplementary Advisory Bulletin), 77 Fed. Reg. 17119-01 (Dep’t of Transp. March 23, 2012) (emphasis added).]

The 2012 Advisory Bulletin also specifically refers to operators’ obligation to develop and implement a Distribution Integrity Management Plan that must include procedures for identifying risks to each distribution pipeline, rank the associated risks, and implement measures to address them. [49 C.F.R. § 192.1007(b-d) (2009).]

While some operators have worked hard to replace their cast iron pipelines as quickly as possible, others have lagged behind, and there are still thousands of miles of cast iron pipelines throughout the United States. If you or someone you know has been injured or killed in an explosion or fire caused by a natural gas leak from a cast iron pipeline, you may be entitled to compensation and need to seek legal counsel. Call Glenda Cochran Associates Attorneys at Law at 888.906.3955 to discuss your claim. We assist clients across the nation.