Fire Inspectors Cite Tennessee Plant for Violations

Fire inspectors have cited a Gallatin, Tenn., metal powders factory where five people died in accidents last year for 11 codes violations.

The violations at the Hoeganaes Corp. plant include an accumulation of metal dust under a conveyor system. A federal investigation of last year’s accidents blamed accumulations of combustible iron dust around the factory for three conflagrations there.

Fire inspectors previously have not cited the plant for allowing metal dust to accumulate. Senior Fire Inspector Mark Parrish told The Tennessean that was an oversight.

Parrish said the plant has made good progress on cleaning up the dust.

Hoeganaes previously released a statement saying it has made a number of safety improvements since the fatal accidents, including adding an “industry leading powder metal dust management system.”