Two Injured In Explosion At Goose Island Metal Refinery
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Two people were seriously injured in a furnace explosion at a metal smelting and refining facility Wednesday afternoon in the Goose Island neighborhood.
A furnace used to melt metals exploded around 12:15 p.m. at Sipi Metals, on the 1700 block of North Elston Avenue, according to Fire Department officials.
Two employees who were working with the furnace at the time suffered burns, and were taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital in serious to critical condition.
Still & Box, EMS Plan 1, & Level 1 Hazmat at 1720 N. Elston have been struck and secured. 2 patients transported to local hospital stable condition. pic.twitter.com/yTxmncnkhu
— Chicago Fire Media (@CFDMedia) January 30, 2019
Update. Both patients from Elston are listed as serious to critical taken to northwestern.
— Chicago Fire Media (@CFDMedia) January 30, 2019
The fire department issued a hazardous materials response as a precaution, but it was later secured.
A CBS 2 investigation found this is not the first explosion at the company.
OSHA records show back in July of 2010, there was another explosion involving a furnace.
In that incident, investigators found "the employer did not ensure that scrap steel metals charged to the furnace was dry and void of any water or moisture."
There was no mention of injuries to any workers in the report, but the company was cited and fined $3,500.