One worker killed by incident at ACB Group in Melbourne
One worker was killed in an explosion and fire at a chemical plant on the outskirts of Melbourne, Australia, on 12 October, according to ABC News reports. The fire was brought under control by Fire Rescue Victoria and the building’s sprinkler system. A second employee was treated for minor injuries at the scene.
The plant is operated by Australian Contract Blenders, which specialises in manufacturing and blending various chemicals, including hazardous materials. According to WorkSafe Victoria, which is investigating the incident alongside the local Environment Protection Authority (EPA), the victim was working with a flammable liquid when the incident occurred.
The emergency services and EPA are working to clean up the site, ensuring the contaminated water doesn’t escape into the environment.
In a separate incident, three people are believed to have been killed in Pilbara, Western Australia, when a large truck loaded with ammonium nitrate collided with a car on 10 October. The intensity of the resulting fire risked causing the ammonium nitrate to explode, meaning fire crews had to wait 2 days for the fire to burn down to an acceptable level. Police are now investigating the incident.
1 Reader's comment