Metal Fabrication Facility Fire

INCIDENT

A facility specializing in metal forming and fabrication experienced a significant incident when an exhaust fan located behind a polisher ignited. The ensuing fire resulted in the rapid spread of smoke and soot throughout the facility, leading to widespread contamination. The most severe damage, both from smoke and heat, occurred to equipment and structural elements located near the fire's origin.

CHALLENGES & LOGISTICS

As a result of the intense heat from the fire, a couple of critical pieces of equipment were directly damaged and had to be replaced since the urgently needed replacement parts were not available. Consequently, the facility required extensive restoration – mainly one wall and part of the roof. Both the replacement of the equipment and the restoration of the facility were completed before AREPA initiated the technical equipment restoration process.

OUTCOME

The technical specialists at AREPA successfully completed full decontamination on approximately 85% of the affected equipment. The remaining 15% of the equipment had to be replaced. AREPA's restoration efforts resulted in significant cost savings compared to replacing the equipment. The replacement of all the equipment would have amounted to over $1 million USD, but thanks to AREPA's restoration work, the equipment was restored for roughly one-fourth of the cost.

By efficiently restoring a substantial portion of the equipment, AREPA helped the facility return to operational status more quickly than if a full replacement had been required. This minimized the impact on the facility's production schedule and overall business operations.