Freezing might be blast cause

Press, 2 May 1985, Page 27

Freezing might be blast cause

PA Auckland A chemical explosion which badly burnt two factory workers may be traced to a chemical drum's being frozen in transit to New Zealand. Two drums of Temephos, a cattle drench base, exploded on April 4 at the Avonuale premises of Superline Products, Ltd. A dangerous goods inspector, Mr Noel Morris, said one of the drums was from a batch from the United States which had been found to ha'.“ solid cores. The drum in the initial “flash” was imported from Australia and apparently ignited while being heated.

But it was the American drum that blew up alongside it which seemed to account for the main part of the explosion, said Mr Morris.

Because it was only partly thawed, the chemical in the American drum might have behaved abnormally when exposed to heat.

The American drums might have been frozen during shipment, he said. The two workers worst affected by the incident have been discharged from hospital. Superline was manufacturing a product for Cyanamid of New Zealand when the explosion occurred.