Cable plant worker hurt by chemical explosion

2/9/2006

A woman employee was hurt yesterday by an explosion fueled by fumes from a barrel of volatile chemicals at Connectronics Corp., 2745 Avondale Ave., authorities said.

Jackie Simon, an assembly worker at the plant that makes cable assemblies and connectors, was taken to Toledo Hospital, where officials had no information about her.

Ms. Simon was thrown eight feet while filling a milk carton with isopropyl alcohol, a chemical used to clean assembly equipment.

The chemical, stored in a 55-gallon drum, is volatile, and likely was ignited by a static charge created by improperly grounded pumping equipment, Battalion Fire Chief Ora Pettaway said.