Quick-thinking staff douse West Bromwich packaging plant fire
Quick-thinking workers put out flames after a machine caught fire at a Black Country factory.
Nine people were safely evacuated following the incident at Diamond Box Limited at Hill Top Industrial Estate in West Bromwich on Tuesday evening.
The company's director Kavi Jundi said an investigation was underway to find the cause of the incident which involved a fire in an industrial printer.
A member of staff was treated in hospital for the effects of smoke inhalation afterwards, but was back at work at the site in Shaw Street, Hill Top, on Wednesday.
Mr Jundi said: "The person was taken to hospital as a precaution. Thankfully there were no injuries. They are all back at work.
"There was a small fire in a printing machine. We are still investigating the cause of it. Thanks to the quick reactions of the press staff who used the fire extinguishers it didn't spread. They managed to put it out before the fire brigade came.
"We're back to business as normal. It will taken seven to 10 days to get the machine in question back up and running which will cause a bit of low level disruption to our orders, but we have alternative machinery which we'll use to divert the operation."
Around 15 firefighters, from West Bromwich, Tipton and Smethwick, tackled the incident.
West Midlands Fire Service stated: "At 5.21pm on Tuesday we responded to reports of a factory fire in Shaw Street, Hill Top.
"Three fire engines attended, crewed by firefighters from West Bromwich, Tipton and Smethwick fire stations. The first arrived at the scene five minutes after being mobilised.
"The fire involved printing machinery.
"Nine people who were affected by the smoke were assessed at the scene by the ambulance service. One of these is believed to have been taken to hospital."
In total seven people were assessed with one taken to hospital, West Midlands Ambulance Service said.
An spokesman said: "We were called to reports of a fire at an industrial premises on Shaw Street, West Bromwich at 5.31pm.
"One ambulance, two paramedic officers and the trust’s Hazardous Area Response Team attended the scene.
"In total we assessed seven patients for the effects of smoke inhalation, one of was taken to City Hospital for further assessment. The other six were discharged at the scene."
