LAC-MEGANTIC, Quebec – An explosion occurred at particleboard manufacturing giant Tafisa’s Quebec plant last week. No injures were reported.
According to a company statement, the explosion affected one of the plant’s two production lines. Firefighters arrived quickly and were able to stabilize the situation.
The company didn’t say precisely how severe the damage was, but did reveal the affected production line will be shut down for “several more weeks.” As of Sunday, sections of the factory have returned to operation, including the shipping of panels and melamine production. All staff will return to work and no layoffs are anticipated.
Tafisa said an action plan was put into place. That plan consists of securing the site, supporting employees and offering them psychological support, analyzing the explosion’s causes, assessing the damage and establishing a sequence to restart operations.
Tafisa says the plant, at 760,000 square feet, is the largest particleboard manufacturing facility in North America. It serves both Canada and the U.S. markets equally, with more than 700 truckloads of wood fiber being transformed each week into 300 truckloads of particleboard and decorative panels.
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