Update on Solus explosion

Reports now indicate that it was a residential-type water heater -- not an industrial water heater -- that exploded at Solus Industrial Innovation in Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif., on March 19. The explosion killed two workers. This story from The Orange County Register's Web site offers some more information, including the names of the two victims: Jose Jimenez, 51, of Garden Grove, and Isidro Echeverria, 34, of Oceanside. The story also includes a sidebar, featuring comments from a few people who work near the Solus plant. Investigators are still looking into how or why the electric water heater exploded, according to the report. Blog readers -- do you know why a company is using a residential water heater in a plastics manufacturing process? Our reporter on the story is looking for more information. We're also still looking for more details about the plastics processes performed at Solus. The company makes plastic components for conveyor systems for the food and beverage industry.