Workers Unharmed in Second Paarl Fire
April 23rd, 2009South Africa. A fire at Novo Food Packers in Paarl is responsible for twenty-one workers landing up in hospital.
The fire is reported to have started at the cold storage facility of the packaging company at around 8pm on the 20th of April.
No workers were seriously injured and were treated for smoke inhalation.
Western Cape police captain Louise Duplessie reported that the cause of the fire was as yet unknown and that the forensics team would analyse the evidence.
Captain Duplessie further added that the damage caused was still to be determined.
The fire comes three days after another blaze caused the deaths of nine workers at a factory nearby.
The fire comes three days after another blaze caused the deaths of nine workers at a media printing factory three kilometers away from Novo Food Packers.
Apart from the nine workers that were killed, there was an estimated R500 million worth of damage caused and eleven other workers were seriously injured.
Membathisi mdladlana, Labour minister, felt that the frequent workplace fatalities and injuries in the workplace clearly indicated that employers did not take the Health and Safety of their workers seriously enough.
The minister also added that it was angering and shocking that there were two fire incidents in the same area in such a short space of time.
Print this post
