-Caveat Lector- http://www.oakridger.com/stories/120899/new_1208990200.html Story last updated at 5:09 p.m. on Wednesday, December 8, 1999 Y-12 explosion hospitalizes 3 by Larisa Brass and Beverly Majors Oak Ridger staff The Department of Energy has announced it will launch its most serious category investigation into this morning's explosion at the Oak Ridge Y-12 Plant. The accident sent three people to the hospital, and seven others required observation, officials at the weapons plant reported. David Michaels, DOE assistant secretary for safety, environment and health, announced in a press conference this afternoon that a "type A" investigation will begin at Y-12 on Friday. DOE reserves type A investigations for incidents resulting in a fatality or the hospitalization of three or more people for 48 hours. "We have three people hospitalized," said Michaels. "We certainly don't want to wait 48 hours to find out if they're going to be hospitalized for 48 hours." A procedure to change out an old crucible used in casting nuclear weapons parts resulted in the explosion of a cooling agent used in the process, Y-12 officials said. Ten men, all Y-12 workers, were involved in the incident. The most seriously injured man, 48-year-old Jerry Lynn Scruggs of Oak Ridge, was flown by helicopter to Erlanger Medical Center in Chattanooga for second- and third-degree burns. He is in serious condition, according to hospital officials. Charlie Ivy, 53, and Robert Scott McLain, 32, both of Oak Ridge, were admitted to Methodist Medical Center of Oak Ridge for second-degree burns. Seven other workers were examined on site and released. The workers were also exposed to limited amounts of radioactive contamination, Y-12 officials confirmed, resulting from depleted uranium in the crucible dispersed by the explosion. The incident occurred in Y-12's 9201-5, or alpha 5, building, which houses a portion of the site's enriched-uranium processes. "Our principal concern is for our employees, those that were injured in this accident, and obviously making sure that they were accounted for. That has been done," said Bob Van Hook, president of Lockheed Martin Energy Systems, which operates the nuclear weapons facility for the Department of Energy. Van Hook said there were no releases from the site that would affect employees outside the building or the public. Approximately 50 people were evacuated from the building, and it has been sealed off until investigations begin, said Van Hook. LMES will conduct its own investigation, he said. Margaret Morrow, LMES deputy vice president for defense programs, said workers were attempting to mop up a sodium hydroxide alloy that had spilled from the area where the crucible was stored. Workers were replacing the crucible, she said, which had not been changed since 1993. The workers were dressed to protect themselves from radiation, Morrow said. "Some of that material came out, in the process of changing out that crucible, into the bottom of the furnace area," said Morrow. "As the employees were going about following their operational procedures to clean that (the furnace) out, they struck it ... and then the reaction occurred." The material is sensitive to moisture, she said, but no one knows what specifically triggered the reaction. Michaels said DOE's investigation will attempt to uncover causes for the explosion by interviewing employees and managers and by reviewing related documents. Michaels said David Stadler, DOE acting deputy assistant secretary for oversight, will lead the investigation. Stadler headed up DOE's recent investigation into allegations of health and environmental exposures at its Paducah, Ky., site. Michaels, based in Washington, D.C., happened to be in Oak Ridge today to conduct a hearing for local ill workers. The hearing was to start at 6:30 p.m. at the American Museum of Science and Energy. 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