Production to resume at site of fatal N.C. blast

Friday, July 10, 2009 3:00 AM  |  Printer friendly version | E-mail to a friend | GARNER (AP) — Work will resume at a Slim Jim snack factory in North Carolina about five weeks after a gas explosion damaged half the building and killed three employees, the company said Friday.

ConAgra spokeswoman Stephanie Childs said employees were told about the return to work at a meeting earlier in the day. Workers have been paid their wages since an explosion June 9 destroyed about half the sprawling plant in Garner, a suburb east of Raleigh.

Production of the plant's signature Slim Jim meat snack will resume July 27, Childs said. Employees will return July 19 either for training or regular work.

"We will increase production in Garner as we ensure that all equipment is running smoothly," Childs said. "We'll also be installing some new equipment in the coming weeks to help with the production of Slim Jims."

The explosion ripped through the plant while 300 people were working, collapsing parts of the roof and crushing nearby parked cars. Nearly 40 people were injured.

Two federal agencies have blamed natural gas for the blast. The U.S. Chemical Safety Board said contractors installing a water heater likely vented natural gas inside the building before the explosion as they purged a gas line. The gas should be vented outside.