Port Kembla chemical fire: Worker burned and 50 evacuated at Bluescope’s Springhill Road facility
- Worker injured in chemical fire
- About 50 staff members were evacuated from the complex
One worker has suffered burns and 50 others have been evacuated from a major steel mill after a chemical fire broke out at the site on Tuesday morning.
More than 11 fire engines and 40 NSW firefighters rushed to Bluescope’s Springhill Road facility in Port Kembla after six cylinders containing acetylene, a highly flammable gas, burst into flames just after 10.30am.
“The cylinders generate significant heat, with their exposure to flames posing a risk of explosion,” NSW Fire and Rescue said on Tuesday afternoon.
‘Firefighters worked to protect a nearby building by applying water to the affected cylinders and keeping surrounding areas cool.
NSW Fire and Rescue deployed significant resources to battle the chemical fire at Bluescope’s Springhill Road facility in Port Kembla on Tuesday
“The fire will continue to burn until the gas supply is consumed by fire.
‘At this stage three cylinders have burned out, with three still burning.’
Fifty workers were evacuated as a precaution, the fire department said, but a BlueScope manager confirmed the site was still operational.
‘Contractors were setting up a pack when one of them turned on the gas bottle. Gas was released and ignited,” the manager said.
‘At this stage firefighters continue to hose down the bottles to keep them cool so others don’t ignite as the gas burns itself out.’
The manager said SafeWork NSW had investigated the incident and had since released the site back to BlueScope.
It is understood the worker suffered burns to his knuckles and drove himself to hospital before emergency services arrived.
Bluescope’s Port Kembla complex, located south of Wollongong in the Illawarra region of NSW, is a major steel mill with an annual production capacity of more than three million tonnes of crude steel.