One worker died tragically, and eight others were hurt when an explosion erupted at a paint plant in Columbus, Ohio, early Thursday morning.
Columbus Plant Explosion Triggered 2-Alarm Fire
The blast occurred just after midnight on April 10th, as 40 employees were inside the Yenkin-Majestic Paints plant, located along the 1900 block of Leonard Avenue in northeast Columbus. The blast jolted nearby residents from their sleep and ignited a 2-alarm fire that burned for several hours.
“I woke up to what was a bomb or maybe a plane hitting something,” one woman told ABC-6 in Columbus.
It’s not clear how many explosions followed the initial blast, but there were apparently several.
Remains of Missing Worker Found Hours After Explosion
While most of the workers were able to evacuate the building, two were trapped inside, and a third was reported missing. Firefighters were able to rescue the trapped employees, who were transferred to Ohio State University Hospital with critical injuries. Although their condition has since been upgraded to stable, it appears one of those workers suffered extensive burns.
“While the fire was still burning, with limited visibility we had rescue crews go in and find the two individuals,” said Columbus Fire Battalion Chief Steve Martin. “It was kind of like they were involved in a car accident. We had to use special tools to pry them out.”
Six other employees were taken to the hospital in stable condition.
The remains of the missing worker, a 44-year-old pressroom supervisor, were discovered around 9:15 Thursday morning, partially buried in the collapsed building’s rubble. He leaves behind a wife and two daughters.
OSHA Among Agencies Investigating Yenkin-Majestic Paints Plant Explosion
So far, it’s not yet known what caused the Yenkin-Majestic Paints plant explosion. The U.S. Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) has launched an inspection of the facility.
“OSHA compliance officers are at the location and are interviewing the employer, employees, and witnesses to determine if the company was following all OSHA standards and regulations,” a spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Labor told ABC-6. “OSHA will not have any further information until they have completed their investigation, which, by law, they have 6 months to complete.”
The U.S. Chemical Safety Board is also investigating yesterday’s explosion. The agency said it would provide updates as information becomes available.
The Yenkin-Majestic Paints plant is a family-owned business that was founded over 100 years ago in Columbus. According to the Columbus Dispatch, OSHA records indicate the facility was cited for serious workplace safety violations following inspections in 2011, 2012, and 2015.
In 2011, another worker died days after being shocked while connecting a battery to his forklift.
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