Chemical Explosion at Fridley's Spec Plating Sends 3 to Hospitals

A chemical explosion at , a plating company on 83rd Avenue NE in Fridley, sent three workers to area hospitals Tuesday morning. 

The explosion, involving a mixture of phosphoric and nitric acid, blew the lid off of a vat and had enough force to knock people over, according to Fridley Fire Chief John Berg. 

Fridley Fire Department got an emergency call from Intertec at 11:07 a.m. but "this was pretty much over when we got here," Berg said. 

The three workers appeared to have been burned by splashing acid, Berg said. Firefighters decontaminated the injured workers and ambulances transported two to Mercy Hospital and one to Hennepin County Medical Center. 

None of the injuries was life-threatening, Berg said. 

All 75 employees evacuated the building. By about 12:30 p.m. they were allowed back in. 

Cause Is Unclear
It's not clear what caused the explosion, because the work that was going doesn't appear to have been unusual, Berg said: "This is a normal thing for them." The chemicals and the vat were in use and not being cleaned, he added. 

An investigation involving the company, state officials and to a lesser degree local officials will try to determine the cause, the chief said—although they may not discover one. 

Berg said he believed the company was in compliance with code and has what it needs to clean up.

Previous Spec Plating Fire
A fire that Berg said took place in the mid-1990s destroyed the company's previous building on 78th Avenue NE.

(Intertec was known as Spec Plating until April 1.)

The cause: a heater-control for an acid bath that malfunctioned in the middle of the night. 

Fridley has a number of similar facilities but the fire department has had "very few problems with the plating companies," Berg said, describing their operations as "pretty tight."

No Vapor Danger
Firefighters were never worried about dangerous vapors from the acid explosion, Berg said. The department uses a simple test with pH paper to ensure there are no acid vapors remaining. 

Across the street from the plant are the Springbrook Apartments, and sharing the block is Broadway Pizza, among other businesses. 

Media Frenzy
"A lot of excitement," Berg said before facing a dozen or so members of the local media. "The good thing is, not a lot of action."