New Germany factory fire fuels safety concerns among workers
eThekwini Fire says it took emergency crews over four hours to extinguish that devastating fire at a chemical lab, in New Germany, west of Durban.
Zeta Laboratories which manufactures cosmetics and sanitation products, went up in smoke after an explosion yesterday.
eThekwini Fire's Dennis Govender says there were gas cylinders that were exploding.
"We have to use foam for this type of fire. The challenge that we had, was there was no water in the hydrants. Besides the cyclinders, there were dangerous chemicals, there were sanitisers which contains 70% alcohol. There were acetones and various other products. The biggest challenge we had was the strong winds," says Govender.
READ: Firefighters battle blaze at New Germany cosmetics factory
The flames spread to a nearby company and torched several cars and a truck. More than a dozen people suffered burns and smoke inhalation, three of them critically.
An employee who's asked not to be named says safety's always been a concern.
"Even our uniform is not up to standard, there were people without safety boots, they used takkies. How can you use takkies in such a risky environment? There is nothing to protect you in case you are injured by equipment. We work with big pallets and chemicals."
WATCH:
A thick black smoke can be seen while firefighters battle the blaze. @ECR_Newswatch pic.twitter.com/5PoC1pPv5t
— ♡ Thando Mkhize (@Thandorh_Mkhize) December 8, 2020
