Three workers were injured last Friday in an explosion at a Vermont aerospace plant.
The incident occurred shortly before noon on December 8th, when witnesses reported hearing a loud bang at the UTC Aerospace Systems facility located in the 100 block of Panton Road in Vergennes,
“All of a sudden, this noise. It sounded like a giant backfire. I mean, a gigantic backfire,” Robin Little-Lebeau told WCAX-TV.
“And I opened the door and I heard the guys at the rescue hollering,” she continued.
One UTC Employee Admitted to UVM Medical Center Burn Unit
Two UTC employees injured in the incident were taken to Porter Medical Center, while a third was transferred to the burn unit at UVM Medical Center in Burlington.
“Our thoughts are with those affected and we are working with emergency responders to ensure that they receive the appropriate care and relief,” a spokesperson for UTC Aerospace Systems said.
Two of the injured had been released as of Friday evening. No additional details regarding the third employee have been made available.
Explosion Linked to Outdoor Dust Collector
Based in Charlotte, North Carolina, UTC Aerospace Systems is one of the world’s largest suppliers of sensors and systems for the aerospace and defense industries. The company employs more than 41,000 people globally, including 775 in Vergennes.
Matt Fraley, deputy chief of the Vergennes Fire Department and a long-time UTC employee, said the cause of the blast was still under investigation. However, Vermont State Police have indicated that it originated in an outside dust collector.
Officials have characterized the incident as an “industrial accident” and have said it does not appear to be suspicious.
Trump Administration Recently Abandoned Combustible Dust Rule Intended to Prevent Plant Explosions
In September, the U.S. Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) indicated that it would abandon a proposed regulation intended to prevent plant explosions and fires associated with combustible dust.
The decision is one of several recent Trump Administration initiatives aimed at eliminating or weakening important worker safety regulations.
The combustible dust rule had been proposed in response to the deadly Imperial Sugar refinery explosion and fire, which resulted from a dangerous accumulation of combustible sugar dust throughout the facility’s packaging building.
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Our Undefeated Plant Explosion Lawyers are investigating the UTC Aerospace Systems explosion in Vermont and will post an update should more information become available.
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