A Janesville, Wis., NaturPak facility experienced two equipment-related explosions in just over a month, and two employees have died after the most recent explosion.
The most recent incident happened March 18, when the Rock County Communications Center received two separate 911 calls about an equipment-related explosion at the NaturPak facility, a Janesville Police report says.
Emergency responders flew two employees to medical facilities by helicopter to treat life-threatening injuries. They also transported a third employee by ambulance to treat non-life-threatening injuries.
NaturPak confirmed March 25 that two employees died after the March explosion, according to a report from Wisconsin news outlet WMTV15.
"We are deeply saddened by the passing of two of our team members," NaturPak said in a statement. "We have extended our heartfelt condolences to the families and have offered our support during this difficult time. We remain focused on providing our employees with the resources they need to navigate this period, including onsite counseling services."
NaturPak is working with the Janesville Fire Marshal and OSHA regarding the incident, and has retained safety consulting firm DSS+ to independently review the incident, the WMTV15 report says. The company is pausing operations in the area where the explosion happened until it has determined the area is safe for operation, the report adds.
Officers reported minimal cooperation from facility management during the investigation of the March explosion, the police report says.
The incident comes after an equipment explosion just over a month prior on February 11. Police and fire personnel arrived on the scene after the Rock County Communications Center received a 911 call about the explosion. Preliminary information from the February incident included that the explosion may have been caused by a malfunction of a pressure relief valve on a tank used for boiling broth.
In that incident, responders flew one worker to a medical facility by helicopter to treat life threatening injuries, and another transported another worker to a medical facility for non-life-threatening injuries.
Police said that during the initial response while officers were speaking with employees, a facility manager told employees to discontinue communication with law enforcement.
The Janesville police and fire departments provided information on the incidents to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). The agency is investigating the incidents to determine their root causes, ensure NaturPak is complying with workplace safety regulations, and implement measures to prevent further incidents. Police say it is unknown whether the two explosions are related.
