Investigators Determine Cause of Industrial Explosion

Fire investigators announced Thursday that they have determined the industrial explosion Tuesday on Wildwood Ave. was caused by a static electrical charge that triggered a dust explosion and a small fire.

According to a press release on the Department of Fire Safety website, a Powderpart employee was using a vacuum to clean machinery when the explosion occurred. The vacuum was improperly grounded, investigators determined, and a build up in static charge ignited the dust.

The explosion caused critical injuries to one worker, who suffered burns on about 90 percent of his body. In addition, the press release said that a worker in a neighboring company suffered minor injuries while attempting to assist, and a police officer was transported as a precaution due to smoke exposure.

Following the explosion, a Hazmat team de-energized the machine and checked to make sure the environment was safe for first responders to enter.