Plant Explosion

Over the weekend, I was alerted to the fact that we had an explosion in our plant. We've had a few small ones in the past year, but this one was different. OSHA is here now conducting an investigation to see if we are going to be allowed to continue business in the near future. That gives you an idea of how severe this really is. This fire started from two 55 gallon drums that were being filled by a wall pump. It sounds like the drums weren't grounded by the filler, and static electricity built up enough to create a spark. The initial explosion singed all of the hair off the filler's head and face. Luckily we are required to wear flame-retardant uniforms, so those were the only injuries sustained. The flames shot over 25 feet to the ceiling, which then started on fire. I don't have access to the photographs, or I would add a few. In the 35,000 sq.ft. warehouse this occurred, every single piece of wall is covered in smoke damage and soot. All of the white walls are dark gray now, and the area the fire occurred is completely black. The factory looks like a wasteland. Over 30 sprinkler heads ruptured because of the temperature and flames. Luckily, these put out the fire enough for the fire department to extinguish the rest of it. I wasn't there, but I can imagine how frightening it must have been for the people in the plant. Just walking through the facility this morning was enough to make anyone a little queasy.

I'm not sure why I'm here today, considering we can't do anything other than answer phones and enter orders, which isn't even my department. It's enough to startle anyone into seeking alternate employment. I don't want to just quit my job, but I don't want to risk something even worse happening down the road to more than just the building. If you take all of that into consideration and add in the fact that there is a thunderstorm brewing outside, this makes for the dreariest of Mondays. The week can truly only get better from here.