SAEGERTOWN, Pa.—The investigation continues into a Feb. 9 fire and subsequent explosion that caused major damage to a Parker Lord Corp. building in northwest Pennsylvania.
"We are very pleased to say that Parker team members are back at work at our Saegertown facility," Christopher Farage, vice president of international HR and external affairs for Parker Lord, told Rubber News March 20. "The facility is back in operation with the exception of the building that was damaged in the incident.
"The investigation as to the cause of the incident is underway. The damaged building is not yet open for full access, as we continue to clean and remove debris. Conclusions about the cause of the incident and rebuilding that portion of the facility will take more time."
Parker Lord said four local firefighters and four fire safety workers from the Parker Lord fire brigade reported minor injuries, and all have since been released from local medical centers.
"Injuries to team members and first responders were minor, most went to the local medical center for several hours or only as a precaution," Farage said.
About 33 workers were at the plant at the time of the fire and explosion, according to Parker Lord. About 235 people are employed at the Saegertown facility in total, one of the company's largest manufacturing sites.
Saegertown Borough officials referred requests for comment to Parker Lord.
"Local fire and first responders were notified and quickly arrived at the facility," Farage said. "An explosion occurred during the effort to contain the fire ... (and) the fire was swiftly extinguished.
"Damage to the facility was limited to a single building, Building 8. There was no or very little damage elsewhere across the large facility."
