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Four suffer burns at steel plant | Four suffer burns at steel plant |
(about 3 hours later) | |
Four workers were taken to hospital with minor burns after an incident at Corus steelworks in Port Talbot. | Four workers were taken to hospital with minor burns after an incident at Corus steelworks in Port Talbot. |
Morriston Hospital in Swansea said three men aged 28, 43 and 51 had been kept in, but did not have serious injuries. | |
Mid and West Wales Fire Service confirmed it had attended the scene as a back up, but said there was no fire. | |
A spokesman for Corus said the injuries occurred during a routine "lancing operation" in a blast furnace. | |
An investigation into the incident has begun, he added. | |
Morriston Hospital confirmed that a fourth man had been discharged. | |
We're trying to reduce risk but you can never completely eliminate it Ken Penton | We're trying to reduce risk but you can never completely eliminate it Ken Penton |
The Corus spokesman said: "At approximately 2.50pm today, whilst recommissioning Blast Furnace No.4 after a period of planned maintenance, four Corus employees were injured carrying out a routine lancing operation. | |
"In line with procedure, the emergency services attended and have since left the site. | |
"An investigation into the incident has already started." | |
'Dangerous places' | 'Dangerous places' |
BBC Wales understands there may have been some problem in bringing the furnace back into production, which the injured men had been working on when they were hurt. | |
One worker, who said one of the men was put into a cold shower after the incident, said he did not think the injuries were too serious. | One worker, who said one of the men was put into a cold shower after the incident, said he did not think the injuries were too serious. |
The worker said one man had burns to his face, another had a burn to his forehead and a third had a burned foot. | The worker said one man had burns to his face, another had a burn to his forehead and a third had a burned foot. |
Ken Penton from the steelworkers' union Community said: "We've had no confirmation of the extent of any injuries, nor of the scale of the accident, nor the cause of it." | Ken Penton from the steelworkers' union Community said: "We've had no confirmation of the extent of any injuries, nor of the scale of the accident, nor the cause of it." |
He said union officials were waiting to speak to management to find out more. | He said union officials were waiting to speak to management to find out more. |
"We're trying to make sure the steelworks have become safer and safer, but regrettably they are dangerous places, where people are working with materials at very hot temperatures. | "We're trying to make sure the steelworks have become safer and safer, but regrettably they are dangerous places, where people are working with materials at very hot temperatures. |
"We're trying to reduce risk but you can never completely eliminate it," he added. | "We're trying to reduce risk but you can never completely eliminate it," he added. |