Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, January 14, 1994 TAG: 9401140167
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B-3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RON BROWN STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Short
"It is absolutely ludicrous," said John M. Davis, president of Starco Corp., which remanufactures truck engine parts at its Shenandoah Avenue plant. "It's like sticking gas into a wood stove."
Davis said he met with the employee Thursday morning and placed a letter of reprimand in his file.
"It was bad judgment," Davis said. "He feels terrible about it."
Two men were injured in the blast after hot gas and insulation escaped from the furnace and struck them in the face. Police identified the men as Darrell Mayo of New Castle and Stewart Young of Roanoke.
Both men were treated at Roanoke Memorial Hospital and released.
Neither of the injured men was the employee responsible for placing the lacquer thinner in the furnace.
The lacquer thinner is used to clean paint guns at the business. Davis said employees have told him that it wasn't the first time lacquer thinner had been placed in the furnace.
With the furnace lid down, fumes built up inside. The manufacturer has suggested to the company that it leave the lid up when using the furnace to allow fumes to escape without exploding.
Davis said he met with employees on Thursday to stress that flammable liquids have no place in the furnace, which is used to clean grease from used truck parts.
"I wanted to make sure that it didn't happen again," Davis said.
by CNB