3 Incident Analysis
Three distinct events occurred during this incident:
1. An employee observed a flash originating from the bag dump station, which attracted the attention of several workers in the area.
2. At about the same time, workers heard a large thumping sound that they described as coming from overhead, accompanied by a pulse that shook the entire building, drawing more workers from their respective workplaces to investigate.
3. After about 2 minutes, seven workers observed an approximately 1-foot flame directly over T-306. The flame then gained additional energy from the powdery mixture of accumulated carbon black, Gilsonite, and clay in the ductwork of the dust collection system. The mixture acted as fuel, and the fire flashed over the assembled workers in the doorway of the pre-mix room.