Four workers were concussed and sustained minor injuries during an explosion at the Inoac Crest Foam plant in Moonachie, N.J., earlier this month.
Local authorities advised nearby residents to close windows for two and half hours following the 4:30 p.m. blast on Oct. 13. The site was also closed due to concerns over the structural integrity of its buildings following the incident. According to reports, four people received hospital treatment for minor injuries.
The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration confirmed it will investigate the incident and file a report within six months. According to OSHA records, the site has been subject to 13 serious citations following inspections in the last ten years.
Despite repeated attempts by Urethanes Technology International, a sister publication of Plastics News, to obtain information about the incident from company representatives, no comment was forthcoming.
The company produces foam for household products, the medical industry and the military. It is a subsidiary of Japan-based INOAC.
According to local reports, workers were performing a reticulation process, in which hydrogen and oxygen gases are used to open cells of foam, when the explosion happened.