TNAG-0759-FCO40-963-Manufacture-and-storage-of-explosives-in-Hong-Kong-1978 — Page 36

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2 Again, we have no knowledge of any fire or explosion during

manufacture of the types proposed for manufacture in Hong Kong.

3 NEC have had one incident of a fire involving mixing of the

combustible pre-mix powders used in the slurry formulation'

proposed for manufacture in Hong Kong. The cause of this

incident was frictional heating arising from distortion of

a mixer blade in a rotary mixer. Part of the mixer house was

destroyed in the ensuing fire, but no fire extended beyond

the mixer house.

To our knowledge there have been two other incidents of pre-mix

fires outside of ICI attributed to frictional heating during

mixing. Such hazards have been eliminated by improvements in

the design of mixers and in process control.

Within industry in general there have been many fires involving

ammonium nitrate, one of the principal oxidising ingredients used

in slurry formulations. There have also been a number of serious

explosions. These incidents are well documented and current handling

and storage regulations are designed to minimise hazards. The.

accident record with this product has, however, to be considered

in relation to the quantity of AN manufactured and handled each

year, which is of the order of 30-40 million tons.

Time Needed for Manufacture

We consider that the time scale of eighteen months allowed from the

date of possession of the plot to the commencement of manufacture is

quite short, having regard to the obligations to obtain various