
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: THURSDAY, December 8, 1994                   TAG: 9412080025
SECTION: CURRENT                    PAGE: NRV-2   EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY 
SOURCE: RICK LINDQUIST
DATELINE: RADFORD                                 LENGTH: Short

MINOR INJURIES IN EXPLOSION AT NEW RIVER CASTINGS

Two workers received minor injuries Wednesday morning when an electric melting furnace malfunctioned at New River Castings on First Street, spewing molten metal, dust and smoke into the plant.

Rescue workers took two employees to Radford Community Hospital where they were treated and released. Jan Toennisson, a spokeswoman for Intermet, the plant's owner, said one worker suffered smoke inhalation and the other was burned on his hand. The company declined to release the workers' names.

Following the incident just after 8 a.m., the plant was evacuated for a half hour before operations were resumed.

Radford firefighter Graham Wicklund said 26 fire personnel and several rescue squad members responded to the call, but no fire resulted from the furnace eruption.

Toennisson said plant personnel were looking into the cause of the malfunction, which could have resulted from a "wet charge," or excessive moisture in the furnace. "That's part of the speculation," she said.

The New River Castings plant employs 500 people. It makes iron castings for the automotive industry.

by CNB