The ministry said the neglect led to a mechanical fault that resulted in the explosion of the Condensate Tank of a Rubber Drier.

Labor Minister Neto Zarzar Lighe said the findings were contained in a report presented by the inter-ministerial agency investigative team that was constituted to probe the LAC accident which resulted to six deaths and 11 injuries.

Speaking at the Ministry of Information daily press conference Thursday, Lighe said the findings show that the increase in steam entering the dryer due to alteration in the size of the original pipe that limits the amount of steam is one of factors that gave rise to the mechanical fault.

He said on the other hand the decrease in the amount of steam leaving the Dryer’s Condensate Tank was caused as a result of obstruction by the insertion of a cylinder in the machine’s vent pipe, thereby leading to excessive heat pressure that triggered the explosion.

Lighe noted that LAC does not have a written safety and health program as required by the concession agreement and Ministry of Labor and industrial best practices.

According to the Labour Minister, the investigation proved that during the last 20 critical minutes before the accident, no one was assigned to monitor the electrical panel which has indicators to detect malfunction of the equipment.

It can be recalled that on January 19, 2015, an explosion occurred on a part of LAC’s Crumbs Rubber Drier known as “Condensate Tank,” leading to eleven injuries and six deaths at the company.
LINA