Latex Factory Fire Began In Machine, Cause Under Investigation

The fire that damaged the Latex International factory on River Road early Thursday began in an industrial drying machine in the building’s basement, Shelton Fire Marshal James Tortora said about 1:15 p.m. Friday.

The ruling confirms initial reports from the scene.

As for the actual cause of the blaze, Tortora said investigators are still trying to piece together exactly what happened.

The cause of the fire right now is still under investigation,” Tortora added. We’re just analyzing some equipment and then hopefully we’ll reach a determination at some point today.”

The factory was heavily damaged by the blaze, which extended through ductwork and conveyor belts to the first floor and the 208,000-square-foot building’s roof.

No environmental contaminants were released during the fire, a DEEP spokesman said Thursday.

A separate facility run by the company on Commerce Drive was recently cited and fined by the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration for seven serious” violations of workplace safety standards.

OSHA initially proposed levying fines totaling $9,800 in connection with those violations, but an informal settlement agreement” with the company calls for a total of $4,000 in fines to be made in four separate payments of $1,000 apiece.

If the company doesn’t pay, the fines will shoot back up to $9,800, the settlement indicates.

As part of the settlement, four of the violations were re-classified as other than serious.”

The violations were:

  • A lack of a railing on a second-floor loading dock, exposing employees to an 11-foot fall to the floor below;
  • The company did not perform a Workplace Hazard Assessment” to determine what type of protective wear employees should don when performing various tasks;
  • Employees were not given training and instruction on the Workplace Hazard Assessment” and protective wear;
  • An opening through which a power cord went into an electrical box lacked an appropriate strain relief device”;
  • A power cord going into a table saw’s electrical box also lacked a strain relief device”
  • A written Hazardous Communications Program” was not kept at the facility for employees required to use and work with chemicals;
  • The company’s Hazardous Communications Program” did not contain a required cross-referenced list of chemicals.

The OSHA documentation is posted below.

The Valley Indy also sent several questions to the company, which filed for bankruptcy protection this month, asking about its future plans and requesting comment on the OSHA investigation.

Click here to read more about the fire.

OSHA Latex Foam Inspection

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