OSHA Accident Investigation · Summary #708560
MORTON THIOKOL INC/WASATCH DIVISION
ELDER COUNTY, UT—
Event description
FIRE AND EXPLOSION IN ROCKET MOTOR PLANT
Investigation abstract
ON AUGUST 2, 1985, AT APPROXIMATELY 11:14 PM, AN EXPLOSION OCCURRED AT BUILDING M-75 AT THE MORTON THIOKOL PLANT IN BOX ELDER COUNTY, UTAH. THE EXACT CAUSE OF T HE EXPLOSION IS NOT KNOWN, HOWEVER IT IS BELIEVED TO HAVE STARTED IN THE FINAL P RODUCT BAG HOUSE, SPREAD TO THE LARGE DRYER AND THEN TO THE DUST COLLECTION SYST EM. THE DRYER, FINAL PRODUCT COLLECTION SYSTEM AND DUST COLLECTOR BURNED AT A HI GH SPEED, GENERATING HIGH PRESSURES AND BURSTING THESE ENCLOSED SYSTEMS. THE RES ULTING FIRE DESTROYED THE INGREDIENT PREPARATION AREA AS WELL. THE PROBABLE CAUS E OF THE INCIDENT IS A STATIC DISCHARGE FROM THE MATERIALS MOVING THROUGH THE SY STEM. THERE WERE NO INJURIES.
Victim
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#981 Degree 0 Age 0
- Nature of injury
- 0
- Part of body
- 0
- Event type
- 0
- Source
- 0
- Occupation code
- 0
- Human factor
- 0
- Environmental factor
- 0
- Task assigned
- 0
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