Accident Description

Accident: Hayes Lemmerz Dust Explosions and Fire

Location: Location: Huntington, IN

Accident Occurred On: 10/29/2003 | Final Report Released On: 09/27/2005

Accident Type: Combustible Dust Explosion and Fire

Investigation Status: The Board approved an investigation report on this investigation on September 27, 2005. A news conference was held in Fort Wayne, IN, on October 5, 2005.

On the evening of October 29, 2003, a series of explosions severely burned two workers, injured a third, and caused property damage to the Hayes Lemmerz manufacturing plant in Huntington, Indiana. One of the severely burned men subsequently died. The Hayes Lemmerz plant manufactures cast aluminum automotive wheels, and the explosions were fueled by accumulated aluminum dust, a flammable byproduct of the wheel production process.

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