Two workers suffered minor injuries in two explosions this morning at the Rouge Steel plant in Dearborn, Michigan, the Associated Press reports.
The first explosion occurred around 7 a.m. at the former subsidiary of Ford Motor Co.
The second explosion was about one hour later, sending debris on top of one employee. Both injured workers returned to their jobs later in the morning.
Fire officials say a gas leak and subsequent buildup is suspected as the cause.
Rouge Steel Co. is the eighth largest integrated steel manufacturer in the United States.
Its Dearborn mill is its sole manufacturing facility.
Most of Rouge's steel goes to Ford.
Previous Rouge accidents
- On February 1999, six workers died and 14 were injured in an explosion in the Ford Rouge power plant, co-owned by Ford and Rouge Steel
- In August 1999, a worker at the B blast furnance died from carbon monoxide poisoning. Four others were injured.
- In October 1999, 2,600-degree molten metal melted through a wall around the B blast furnace. No one was injured.
- In February 2000, the Rouge plant was fined $3,500 for failing to report a fatality.
- In January 2001, a furnace blew, spewing molten steel. Two workers suffered minor injuries.
- In February 2001, a steam turbine exploded, killing one man and injuring another.
- In March, 2002, a slag explosion caused by mixing hot steel with water caused a grass fire that caused a bulldozer to blow up. No injuries were reported.
- In October, 2002, one man died and another was critically injured after both were scalded doing blast-furnace maintenance.