Siheyuan: Starting from the driver

Chapter 716 The Hidden Dangers Behind the Steam Explosion
Steelmaking workshop, blast furnace area.

The deafening roar of the blast furnaces and the roar of molten steel that used to fill the air have been replaced by a more violent howl.

Scalding white steam billowed and filled the air, making it almost impossible to breathe. The air was violently distorted by the intense heat, and visibility was completely blurred.

A long, narrow, and menacing slit is clearly visible in the main air duct connecting the blower room and the blast furnace tuyeres!

The ultra-high pressure steam jet, like a scorching javelin shot by the Grim Reaper, bursts out wildly with overwhelming force!

The nearby metal railings and pipe coverings deformed, peeled off, and turned red under the continuous scouring of steam, emitting a creaking groan as they groaned under the weight of the steam.

Workshop director Wang Youcai's eyes were bloodshot like spider webs, and his voice was already hoarse and cracking, yet he was still hysterically directing the rescue.

"Has everyone come out? Who else is still in the workshop? Team leaders, count your team members, quick!"

The injured have been hurriedly moved outside the workshop and are in urgent need of treatment.

The technician's work clothes on the outside of his left arm were instantly burned and torn apart, revealing large patches of horribly red, swollen, and charred skin on his lower arm, covered with a dense mass of huge blisters mixed with transparent and bloody color.

"what!!!"

The two workers next to him fared slightly better; one had a blister-covered shoulder from the splashing steam, while the other had blisters all over his back from the steam.

The intense pain also turned them pale and caused them to break out in a cold sweat.

The doctor from the clinic who rushed to the scene was covered in sweat, but he didn't care about anything else and immediately began emergency treatment.

"Quick! Scissors! Cut apart the stuck pieces of clothing! Be careful not to break the blisters!"

I rinsed the wound with plenty of iodine, but the wound area was too large, and the solution ran out quickly.

"Water! Bring water to water it!"

There's no time to worry about anything else right now; the priority is to save them.

"Ouch! It hurts so much!" Xiao Wang's cries of pain were heart-wrenching.

"Bear with it! Xiao Wang! Hang in there!"

"Thump! Thump! Thump!" Heavy, steady, and rapid footsteps approached from afar.

"Wang Youcai! Wang Youcai!"

Factory Director Yang rushed over and saw the scene in complete disarray: the roaring, raging death steam, the chaotic ground, the scattered tools, and the pale, ashen faces of the young man.
"Factory Director!" Wang Youcai's voice, filled with sobs and despair, finally found its anchor.

"Condition!"

"The blast furnace main air supply pipe has ruptured. An emergency shutdown has been initiated! However, the residual pressure inside the main pipe is enormous, and the residual temperature is astonishing! Continue!" Wang Youcai pointed to the injection nozzle, his fingers trembling slightly.

"Of the three, Xiao Wang's left arm was the most severely injured, while the other two suffered burns to their shoulders and backs."

How is the blast furnace doing?

The section chief in charge of power quickly spoke up: "Factory manager! The core of the ventilation chamber hasn't been directly impacted yet, but the supporting structure is deformed!"

"The most urgent problem is the jetting from the rupture! Let alone welding, it's extremely dangerous to get within five meters right now! Forcibly plugging the rupture is too risky; the instantaneous high-pressure rebound could cause wider pipeline instability or even a secondary rupture!"

"I suggest waiting! Let the internal pressure release completely and the temperature cool down naturally before organizing any repairs! Forced cooling is too dangerous!"

Upon hearing this, Director Yang frowned, looking at the still-spraying air duct and immediately felt extremely troubled.

But he quickly issued an order, his voice firm and decisive: "Power Department, immediately check if all upstream valves of the fan system are locked? Control Room! Activate the emergency pressure relief valve!"

"Director Yang, we've checked everything, there's no problem!" The two men immediately stepped forward.

"Okay, medical department, concentrate all resources to save Xiao Wang's arm!"

"Wan Shen! Have the vehicles for transporting the wounded arrived yet?!"

"It's here!"

"Send him directly to the hospital, and you go with him in the ambulance! Contact the hospital and make sure they open a green channel for him! Tell the hospital that this is a seriously injured person from a workplace accident!"

"Security Department! Section Chief Ma! Seal off the area. Except for essential rescue personnel, clear the entire area! Execute immediately."

As orders were issued, everyone began to carry them out in earnest.

Factory Director Yang did not leave the scene. Instead, he stood outside the workshop like an iron statue, staring intently at the pipeline.

Staff hospital.

Almost at the same time that Wan Shen’s jeep arrived at the hospital, kicking up dust, the hospital leaders, the head of surgery, key personnel from the burn unit, anesthesiologists, head nurses, and others who had already been notified were all waiting in front of the emergency room.

"Quick! Quick! Severe steam burns! Left arm! Extensive burns!"

The nurses, well-trained, pushed the wheelchairs and rushed towards the dedicated passage.

As the head of surgery ran alongside, examining Xiao Wang's arm, his expression suddenly turned extremely grim.

"Deep burns. Immediately transfer to the operating room! Clean the wound." The chief physician gave the medical orders in a rapid-fire manner.

"Take care of the other two injured as well! Clean and bandage their wounds!"

On the way to the surgical preparation area, Xiao Wang's intense pain, blood loss, and shock caused him to become disoriented.

The hurried words of the surrounding medical staff and the crisp sound of metal instruments colliding all seemed to be separated by a thick membrane.

The only thing he could feel was the excruciating, endless pain in his left arm that went deep into his bones, like countless red-hot iron needles piercing him.

At this moment, several factory leaders, including Li Huaide, Secretary Wang, and Deputy Factory Director Zhao, arrived late, panting.

What we saw was a scene still shrouded in white mist, littered with debris, and filled with scorching heat.

Director Yang brought the situation under control and initially restored order to the scene.

"Director Yang! How is the situation now?" Li Huaide was the first to speak, his tone carrying just the right amount of concern.

"The situation is under preliminary control, and the extent of the damage is still being assessed. Three people were injured, the most seriously injured of whom has been sent to the hospital. The cause of the injury is still under investigation."

Before the words were finished, a piercing hissing sound came from the pipes.

It suddenly turned into a low, sigh-like "woo-woo" sound.

The volume decreased rapidly, and the ejected column of steam visibly shrank and thinned.

In the end, within seconds, only a few scattered, weak wisps of white smoke remained, hissing out from the cracks like the last gasps of an abandoned boiler.

The situation took a sudden turn for the worse, causing everyone to look up abruptly and stop what they were doing.

"It's stopped?!"

"The pressure is gone! It's really gone!"

Director Yang, who had been standing like an iron tower, swayed almost imperceptibly, and his tightly clenched fist quietly loosened.

The section chief, who had been listening intently and on high alert, almost reflexively shouted, "Relieve the pressure! Relieve the pressure!"

"The pressure has been largely released! The jetting has stopped! We are now entering the natural cooling phase! The critical safe temperature point is expected in about 1 to 2 hours! We can begin preparations for on-site investigation, cooling and ventilation, and subsequent emergency repairs!"

Upon hearing this, Factory Director Yang nodded emphatically: "Good! Safety officer! Power department! Technical department! Prepare to go to the site for investigation! Everyone must be properly equipped!"

"No one is allowed to approach within five meters of the crack without permission! Wang Youcai, organize your men to coordinate cooling and ventilation! Keep the blowers running!"

"Yes!" Wang Youcai responded loudly and immediately began to organize people.

With the help of others, veteran safety officer Mr. Sun and two of the most experienced technicians from the technical department struggled to put on their equipment before entering the workshop.

The three-person team, under the tense gaze of dozens of eyes, slowly but firmly stepped into the workshop.

Although the deadly high-pressure jetting has stopped, the internal environment remains unbearably hot, with residual air temperatures high enough to scald exposed skin.

Master Sun walked at the front, taking each step with extreme caution.

The air was filled with a strong smell of rust and a mixture of smells like burnt barbecue.
The three cautiously approached the main ventilation duct and stopped about three meters from the crack. High-temperature white smoke was still billowing from the crack, and the metal surface was dark red.

"Be careful, the temperature hasn't gone down yet!" Master Sun reminded him.

The crack resembled an ugly centipede, with irregular serrations and a length of over a meter. It stretched out tearfully from near the welding joint of the main air duct close to the furnace body air outlet!

Behind him, Engineer Li carefully observed the edge of the crack and found that at the starting point of the crack, there was a section with a slight color difference and unnatural texture compared to the surrounding material!
"Old Sun, look here!" Engineer Li pointed with his tools.

Master Sun immediately looked over and gently scraped the edge of that area with his tool, causing a tiny metal shaving to fall down.

"Something's wrong!"

Master Sun frowned.

Without pausing, Li moved to a spot further away from the crack, in an area of ​​the pipe wall that should theoretically be intact. He picked up a small hammer he carried with him and struck the pipe with even force.

"Clang! It produced the clear, short echo that steel should produce."

Then, he tapped again on another section of the pipe wall not far from the "dark" area—

The clanging sound, however, sounded somewhat muffled.

"The sound is off!" The three of them noticed instantly.

After conducting an inspection, the group reached a preliminary conclusion and then temporarily left the workshop.

After leaving the workshop, the three men couldn't wait to take off their heavy helmet visors. Their hair was already soaked with sweat and stuck to their scalps as they gasped for breath.

"How is it?" Director Yang asked impatiently.

Master Sun's expression was extremely serious: "Director Yang, leaders! Preliminary investigation shows the crack is located in the main air duct!"

"We discovered an anomaly at the initiation of the crack. We initially suspect a quality issue! It could be due to uneven composition or inadequate heat treatment, causing the strength and toughness at that location to be far below the standard."

"It is extremely prone to reaching the critical size in areas of stress concentration, and will eventually completely break under today's specific working conditions!"

"A quality issue?!"

"Insufficient material strength and toughness?"

"There's a crack?!"

These words exploded in Director Yang's ears, instantly turning his face ashen.

What does this mean? It means a risk assessment of all blast furnaces and all similar pressure pipelines!

This could also mean significant loopholes in the procurement and acceptance processes!

This responsibility goes far beyond simply managing production safety!

Secretary Wang gasped, "What materials?! Investigate! Investigate thoroughly!"

Deputy Factory Director Zhao's expression also changed drastically: "This is outrageous! The main air duct is the lifeblood of the blast furnace! How could they possibly use substandard materials?!"

The "concern" on Li Huaide's face disappeared, replaced by an unprecedented solemnity and deep thought.

His brows furrowed, his eyes narrowed, and he stared intently at the sampling bag.

If it really is a materials issue, then the scope of the problem is far too large!

It might even spread to the logistics department he oversees, and if this isn't handled properly, he could face a lot of trouble.

"Signatures on the acceptance form from the Materials Department and Quality Inspection Department."

Countless images flashed through Li Huaide's mind, and his heart pounded uncontrollably.

The size of the "procurement" pie determines the potential number of "parasites."

If it is confirmed that the materials are falsified or contain serious negligence, he will be prosecuted immediately.

"We must get firsthand information as soon as possible!" Li Huaide clenched his fist.

Only by obtaining the materials first can we take the initiative. This matter cannot be hidden and must be dealt with as soon as possible.

After the preliminary findings of the on-site investigation were reported, the atmosphere became even more subtle and tense.

The severity of the accident far exceeds that of a single operational error.

"Director Yang! Director Yang!" Suddenly a voice called out.

A clerk rushed over in a panic: "Factory manager! Emergency call from the hospital! Secretary Wan said that Xiao Wang's injuries are too severe, the risk of wound infection is extremely high, and he must be amputated immediately to have any chance of saving his life! A family member needs to sign the consent form!"

"But Xiao Wang's hometown is thousands of miles away, and his parents can't get there in a short time! The hospital wants the factory to make a decision as quickly as possible."

"boom--"

Amputation?!

Everyone present was completely taken aback.

A promising young man in his early twenties, who was just working energetically in the factory, is about to lose an arm in the blink of an eye?!

"Wow!" Secretary Wang immediately stepped forward.

"I am the Party Secretary, and I represent the organization! I will take responsibility for the family's actions! Contact the hospital immediately and tell them I will come over to sign the necessary documents right away! We will spare no effort to save lives!"

The clerk turned and ran back to return the call.

"Wait a minute!" Factory Director Yang suddenly said, looking at Secretary Wang.

"Secretary Wang, on behalf of the entire steel rolling mill, I fully support this! Tell the hospital to use the best medicine, invite the best experts, and arrange the best nursing care! The mill will cover all the expenses!"

Secretary Wang nodded, then turned and left.

Director Yang looked around at everyone. He couldn't let Xiao Wang's sacrifice be in vain. This accident had to be thoroughly investigated.

"The most important thing now is to find out exactly what happened. The main ventilation duct cracking was not a natural disaster, but a man-made one! This is a huge safety hazard."

"If this hidden danger is not eliminated, every blast furnace and every similar pipe in every corner of our factory could become a time bomb like it is today!"

Suddenly, Factory Director Yang raised his voice: "Establish a special investigation team immediately, and I will personally lead it as the team leader! Wang Youcai, Master Sun, Engineer Li, and Engineer Zhang will be team members."

"There is only one core task: to thoroughly investigate the source, procurement, and inspection of the problematic materials."

He paused, then his sharp gaze pierced Li Huaide: "Deputy Factory Director Li, you are the leader in charge of logistics. This material procurement chain is of paramount importance to you."

"Please cooperate fully with the investigation team! Be prepared to be inspected by the investigation team at any time! Any questions?"

Factory Director Yang put Li Huaide directly on the fire to roast.

Li Huaide said righteously and firmly, "Please rest assured, Director Yang, I, Li Huaide, firmly support a thorough investigation and will fully cooperate with the work!"

"This is blatant undermining our factory, destroying its very foundation! I'm personally overseeing the materials department! All relevant data..."

His statement was resolute and impassioned, as if he were more eager than anyone else to find the "culprit".

"Very good!" Factory Director Yang's eyes shone brightly, and he said no more. "Investigation team, move out immediately! Wang Youcai, you first compile a detailed record of the ductwork operations in the three hours prior to the incident."

The orders were issued clearly, swiftly, and methodically.

Jingle Bell--

Suddenly, the workday bell rang.

The group looked at each other in bewilderment. With such a big incident, were they still allowed to leave work?
"Ordinary workers can go home, but all team leaders and cadres must stay and wait for questioning."

"Anyone who dares to leave the steel rolling mill at this time will be dealt with as if it were a sabotage incident!"

"Yes!"

(End of this chapter)