Explosion at construction site leads to new advice from HSE
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has issued new guidance for the construction industry relating to the use of a type of concrete, after an explosion injured two workers on a construction site in August last year.
The accident occurred when some concrete that had been poured on a construction site was setting. Two contractors on the site started to remove steelwork using angle grinders near the area that the concrete had been poured. A spark from one of the angle grinders caused an explosion underneath the steel walkway on which the two men were standing, blowing both men up into the roof of the building.
After an investigation, it was found that the setting concrete had reacted with aluminium in the area to produce the colourless, odourless and highly-flammable gas hydrogen. As the area in which the concrete had been poured was confined, there was no ventilation to allow this hydrogen to disperse. This meant that when the contractors began to use their angle grinders on the steelwork, it is likely that a spark from the metal ignited the hydrogen, causing the explosion.
The HSE has asked the manufacturers of the concrete to advise all of their customers of the need to make sure any areas where concrete is to be poured have sufficient ventilation to avoid the build up of hydrogen gas and to minimise the risk of similar explosions.
Construction site accident compensation
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