Fatal Explosion at Steel Factory, PT GWS Claims Operations Complied with SOP and OHS Standards

Management of PT Great Wall Steel (GWS) in Waru sub-district, Sidoarjo Regency, has issued an official clarification regarding the explosion incident at the steel melting factory site on Monday (6/4). HRD & General Affairs (GA) representative of PT GWS, Heri Prasetyo, stated that the explosion began when personnel in the scrap yard or open field were cutting scrap metal delivered by suppliers. The company emphasised that all operational processes, including the cutting of scrap metal, were carried out in accordance with standard operating procedures (SOP) and applicable Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) regulations. “Actually, we already have SOPs. We also have ISO certification, and OHS measures. But clearly, items of that nature are stored outside, in the scrap yard, so in the open field,” Heri said when met at the location on Monday (6/4) evening. Heri added that at the time of the incident, the workers present at the site were using safety equipment in accordance with standards. He believes that the strict implementation of OHS is the reason why the two workers performing the cutting and who were closest to the explosion point did not suffer fatal injuries. In contrast, he said, the victim who sustained severe injuries and died was positioned further away. He is suspected to have died from being hit by shrapnel from the explosion. “The point is, those nearby didn’t suffer as badly, sorry, as the late victim. But clearly, the two people working at this location didn’t experience anything as severe as him. So our initial conclusion is that it was in accordance with OHS safety,” he stated. The fatality in this incident, he said, was an external expedition truck assistant. The victim’s position at the time was at a safe distance, about 50 metres from the centre of the explosion, and he was resting outside the work area. “This assistant was positioned more than 50 metres from the incident site, and unexpectedly, he was hit by fragments from the cylinder or the cut iron that struck his body,” he explained. Heri stated that management also claims there was no significant damage to buildings, facilities, or factory machinery as a result of the explosion. Meanwhile, police from the Gegana and Inafis teams have conducted initial crime scene processing. Based on preliminary analysis, the explosion was confirmed not to have originated from military explosives or a bomb. “The police side conveyed, ‘If it were from a military bomb, there would be damage or whatever around it.’ But clearly, around us, there is no damage at all to buildings or equipment near the incident,” he said. Previously, a loud explosion occurred in the steel melting industrial area of PT Great Wall Steel (GWS) in Waru sub-district, Sidoarjo Regency, on Monday (6/4) afternoon. Sidoarjo Police Chief, Commissioner Christian Tobing, said based on initial investigations, the fatal incident began when several workers were carrying out metal material cutting activities. “The incident was at PT GWS in Waru sub-district. The chronology is that there were two people cutting, named P and J. Then, during the scrap iron cutting using a blender welder, an explosion occurred from the welding of the iron,” Christian said when confirmed. Meanwhile, an external truck assistant was reported dead due to suspected shrapnel from the explosion. “Then there was a victim named R, who died,” he continued. To ascertain the exact cause of the explosion and security elements at the project site, a joint team from Sidoarjo Police Resort and the local police station has been deployed. In addition, the East Java Police’s Gegana Bomb Disposal Unit (Jibom) team was brought to the location to conduct identification and crime scene processing (TKP).