The plant was badly damaged on 8 November last year, when an explosion destroyed blast furnace number five.

Stephen Galsworthy died in the blast

Workers Andrew Hutin, 20, and Stephen Galsworthy, 25, died at the scene and 53-year-old Len Radford died days later from his injuries.

Twelve other workers were injured - several critically - and underwent intensive treatment at the Morriston Hospital burns unit in Swansea.

Five of the workers received horrific burn and blast injuries and were placed on life support machines, but six months on from the disaster, they are all back at home.

Welsh Assembly First Minister, Rhodri Morgan, said the explosion had been "unprecedented".

Corus has pledged to rebuild the furnace at a cost of �75m to re-start production by January 2003.

BBC Wales's Week In Week Out programme has documented the workers' road to recovery in a special programme, Men of Steel, to be broadcast on Tuesday night at 2225BST.

I didn't get a chance to try and protect my face from the fireball, and that's where I received all my injuries

Wayne Barnes, steelworker

Wayne Barnes, who visited the blast scene before the damaged furnace was demolished, spoke of the horror at being caught up in the blast.

"I can recall how I managed to get off the furnace and to get out into fresh air."

"I needed to make that decision to go in and see it, because in the future it would have been gone, and I would never have been able to put that ghost to bed," he revealed.

"My first reaction was, I'd beaten it. It didn't win.

"I was very frightened because I went into the area where we worked, and to see the damage there, to see it, visualise that the furnace had lifted, that brought me to reality, and scared me to death, but I'm still here.

Len Radford: Blast's third victim

"I heard somebody shouting, 'let's get out,' and we didn't know which way to go, which was the best way to go," he added.

"But then we got engulfed in the actual flame - that's all I can remember.

"It was very, very bright and I didn't get a chance to try and protect my face from the actual flame, the fire-ball, and that's where I received all my injuries."

Staff at Morriston Hospital were stretched to the limit, but after carrying out a major incident plan days earlier, they were fully prepared.

The burns unit was aided by nurses and doctors who had rushed from home to assist.

Andrew Hutin: One of three victims

Burns unit director and plastic surgeon Bill Dickson told the programme more victims had been expected to die in the crucial days after the blast.

"On the first night we were running two operating theatres for most of the night and there were many surgeons in the hospital who did not get more than an hours sleep, if any, that night," he said.

"In the first few days, we probably expected another two men to die. At the early stages, with all of the men, they were very seriously ill and giving us cause for concern."

Some of the badly injured workers will have to undergo further operations in the coming years and find counselling support to overcome the ordeal.