ATHI RIVER, Kenya — One person has died, and about 60 workers were affected after a gas cylinder released fumes at Athi River Steel Limited on Thursday, September 24.
The incident occurred as workers were cutting gas cylinders that had been delivered to the facility as scrap.
According to police, a trailer carrying about 41 bulk cylinders arrived at the steel plant earlier in the afternoon.
At around 4pm, one of the cylinders began releasing gas while workers were cutting it, causing fumes to spread through the workplace.
Workers Rushed to Hospital
The affected workers were taken to Mutungoini Hospital for treatment.
Most were treated and discharged, while two workers remained under observation.
One of those affected, 49-year-old Harry Mwaighamba Mwapwaka, later died, with police reporting suspected suffocation as the cause.
The circumstances surrounding his death remain subject to investigation.
Police, DCI Probe Incident
Police and detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) visited the facility following the incident.
Scene-of-crime officers and occupational safety officials also secured the plant as investigations got underway.
Authorities are investigating how the cylinders were handled and whether adequate safety measures were in place while workers processed the cylinders as scrap.
The source and nature of the gas released had not been conclusively established at the time of reporting.
Risks of Cutting Gas Cylinders
The incident has highlighted the potential dangers of handling discarded gas cylinders as ordinary scrap metal.
A cylinder that appears empty can still contain residual gas or other hazardous material. Cutting, welding or heating such containers can release dangerous fumes or create other safety risks.
Occupational safety procedures generally require cylinders to be properly identified, emptied, depressurised and made safe before they are subjected to cutting or other processing.
Investigations Underway
The affected workers’ treatment and the securing of the facility followed the release of fumes inside the plant.
Investigators are expected to establish the type of cylinder involved, what it contained, how it was prepared for cutting and the circumstances that led to the exposure.
The investigation will also determine whether any workplace safety requirements were breached.
