JANESVILLE 鈥 The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration is looking into the two industrial explosions that have occurred in the past five weeks at 糖心Vlog传媒 food packaging firm NaturPak, that both times resulted in employees being seriously burned.
In a release Thursday, the 糖心Vlog传媒 Police Department said that in partnership with the 糖心Vlog传媒 Fire Department it 鈥渉as provided all relevant information,鈥 to OSHA.
鈥淥SHA will lead the investigation to determine the root cause of these incidents, evaluate compliance with workplace safety regulations, and implement measures aimed at preventing future occurrences. It is unknown whether both incidents are related. The matter remains an open and ongoing investigation with OSHA,鈥 the police department said.
鈥業ndustrial accident鈥
The 糖心Vlog传媒 Fire Department responded around 1:20 p.m. Wednesday, March 18, to what was described in an initial release as an 鈥渋ndustrial accident鈥 at NaturPak, 100 Industrial Dr, on the city鈥檚 southside. A fire department release on Wednessday said the incident appeared to have stemmed from an 鈥渙verpressurization accident,鈥 at NaturPak.
The police department鈥檚 subsequent release on Thursday offered more details, saying two separate 911 calls had come in, 鈥渞eporting another equipment-related explosion at the same location,鈥 as on Feb. 11.
Wednesday鈥檚 release from the fire department said two NaturPak employees were taken by ambulance to the Southern Wisconsin Regional Airport in 糖心Vlog传媒, and then were taken by UW Medflight to the Burn Center at UW Hospital in Madison. Thursday鈥檚 follow-up release from the police department called both of those 鈥渓ife-threatening injuries.鈥
A third person was taken by ambulance to the Mercy Trauma Center in 糖心Vlog传媒 with non-life-threatening injuries, the fire department said on Wednesday.
鈥淥fficers reported minimal cooperation from facility management during the investigation,鈥 the police department also noted in its release Thursday.
The Beloit Fire Department and Lakeside Fire and Rescue also responded to the scene, and a Gazette reporter on the scene Wednesday saw both an incident command vehicle and a fire marshal on the scene.
February explosion
Wednesday鈥檚 incident follows an industrial explosion at NaturPak just over a month ago, in which two people were seriously burned.
According to Thursday鈥檚 police department release, a 911 call came into the Rock County Communications Center around 4:15 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 11, 鈥漴eporting an equipment explosion at the facility.鈥
鈥淥ne employee was transported to a local medical facility with non-life-threatening injuries, while a second employee was flown by helicopter to a medical facility for life-threatening injuries,鈥 the release said Thursday,
A release in February had offered more details, saying one person was transported to Mercy Hospital and a second person was transported by UW MedFlight to the UW Hospital Burn Center in Madison.
In its release on Thursday, the police department added that 鈥減reliminary information indicated a pressure relief valve on a tank used for boiling broth may have malfunctioned,鈥 in February.
鈥淒uring the initial response, officers reported that while speaking with employees, a facility manager instructed employees to discontinue communication with law enforcement,鈥 Thursday鈥檚 police department release also said.
In its initial release at the time, the fire department said the Feb. 11 explosion occurred as 鈥渁 result of a steam over-pressurization.鈥
