Five people were injured Aug. 8 during a fire at the Haartz Corp. headquarters in Acton, Mass.
The automotive supplier, which makes vinyl and thermoplastic polyolefin materials that are used in various vehicle applications, including instrument panel skins and console lids, confirmed the incident on Twitter.
“Earlier today, at our Acton facility, there was a fire that was immediately extinguished. The cause is actively being investigated,” the company tweeted. Five people were taken to area hospitals, Haartz said on the social media site.
“Safety is our first priority, and we will continue to provide updates as we know more,” the company said.
Local news reports said the Acton Fire Department received a call about an explosion at the facility around 10:25 a.m.
Officials with the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration responded to the scene. In the last five years, Haartz has had three safety-related incidences, according to OSHA records.
In an Aug. 9 statement to Plastics News, Doug Bishop, director of quality assurance and engineering at Haartz, said four of the employees who were taken to the hospital have been released, while the fifth person is still receiving care.
“We are cooperating with all regulatory agencies and local authorities during their ongoing investigation, as we work to ensure our employees' safety,” he said. “We will continue to provide updates to the community.”
