Man hurt in fire-blast

Fibreboard plant worker suffers burns

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Mataura's Dongwha Patinna fibreboard plant. The factory was at the centre of a workplace accident that left one man seriously burned.

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A sign outside Mataura fibreboard plant Dongwha Patinna.

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A 30-year-old Southland man is in Auckland's Middlemore Hospital after suffering serious burns in an explosion at the Dongwha Patinna plant near Mataura on Saturday.

Wallacetown man Blair Lindsay was working at the plant about 5am when he was struck by a fire-blast.

A St John Ambulance spokeswoman said Mr Lindsay suffered serious burns, while a second man received minor burns and was treated at the scene.

Mataura Volunteer Fire Brigade chief fire officer Neil Rogan said Mr Lindsay's workmates poured water on his burns until medical help arrived.

It is understood Mr Lindsay suffered serious burns to his hands, while his face was also believed to be burned.

He was taken by ambulance to Southland Hospital on Saturday morning, before being flown to Christchurch Hospital that afternoon.

He was then transferred yesterday to the Middlemore Hospital burns unit in Auckland where a spokeswoman said he was in a stable condition.

Mr Lindsay's father Ian told The Southland Times yesterday his son was in "reasonably good spirits" despite his injuries and was being supported in hospital by his mother and fiance.

"He was actually surprisingly chirpy when I saw him," he said.

"He didn't really say much about what happened." Dongwha Patinna general manager Shaun Cawood said the plant was closed following the fire but there was no damage to the area itself.

The plant resumed operations later in the day and was deemed safe, he said.

"Our only concern is with the guy that's been injured," Mr Cawood said.

There had been a smouldering fire in wood dust inside a duct pipe and fire had blasted from a manhole at the side of the duct where (Mr Lindsay) was standing, he said.

"He got caught in the out-blast," Mr Cawood said.

When asked if fires were common at the plant, Mr Cawood said it did happen but no one had been caught in an "explosion fire-type scenario" before the weekend.

Mr Rogan said when firefighters arrived several of the man's workmates were taking care of him.

"He was sitting down and conscious and able to talk but he had reasonable burns on him." The plant makes fibreboard from fine wood particles pressed and put through a heating process, Mr Rogan said.

"You get dust and heat...and you get the odd fire," he said.

"When the plant first opened there were numerous fires but we don't get called up there very often now." In the past two to three years about six fires a year occurred at the plant, he said.

He had no concerns with the plant's operating procedures, with firefighters doing regular checks at the site and keeping in close contact with management, he said.

"They have a very good safety record down there and take all precautions they can to prevent fires.

"It was just an unfortunate accident.

"You can't prepare for everything," Mr Rogan said.

The Department of Labour and a fire safety officer were investigating, spokesmen for both agencies said.

The Dongwha Patinna plant operates 24/7 and employs 110 people.

- © Fairfax NZ News