The incident occurred at Murpa village under Kuju outpost limits on Sunday afternoon, officials said. Chief Factory Inspector Manish Sinha said emergency personnel rushed two critically injured workers to a private hospital in Ranchi.
“Workers sustained burn injuries after hot metal splashed following an explosion in the furnace chamber of the plant. Factory inspector in Hazaribag has been directed to inquire into the issue and submit details report at the earliest,” he said.
The exact cause of the furnace explosion remains under investigation.
However, the incident highlights the significant hazards associated with high-temperature furnaces and molten metal operations, where equipment failure or loss of process control can expose workers to extreme thermal and mechanical hazards.
Key process safety measures include:
- Regular inspection and maintenance of furnaces, refractory linings and associated equipment
- Monitoring of furnace temperature, pressure and operating conditions
- Robust controls to prevent water or other incompatible materials coming into contact with molten metal
- Appropriate guarding and exclusion zones around furnaces and molten metal handling areas
- Emergency shutdown procedures and clearly defined evacuation routes
- Comprehensive training for workers involved in furnace and molten metal operations
- Preventative maintenance and inspection of critical safety systems and instrumentation
- Thorough investigation of abnormal events, near misses and equipment failures