May 14--GREENSBORO -- Three months after a fire that burned through an auto body shop near downtown Greensboro sent four firefighters to the hospital, the N.C. Department of Labor found no violations in how the Greensboro Fire Department responded to the incident.
However, the state agency is recommending that the agency take a close look at some existing regulations.
The fire department is going to crack down on regulations about the sort of portable light that ignited that blaze Jan. 30 at Import Knight Auto Repair on 811 S. Elm St.
In a letter dated April 7 and sent to Matt Schweitzer, the safety manager for Greensboro, the N.C. Department of Labor said it found "no apparent violations" following an inspection of the accident site, but GPD officials said they would do a better job of inspecting auto repair shots and of ensuring that those shops operated appropriately.
The Department of Labor is required to investigate any time there is an accident that sends three or more employees to the hospital. An investigator will collect physical evidence, as well as take photos and conduct interviews.
There are several things that go into the decision of whether a company is in violation, said Dolores Quesenberry, spokeswoman for the Department of Labor.
"We always look at the training record and PPE (personal protective equipment) and see if they were wearing it," she said, adding that the Greensboro Fire Department had "no violations of the Health and Safety Act standards."
The most seriously injured firefighter, Capt. Sterling Suddarth, was taken to Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, where he remained for 18 days for burns and other injuries. He returned to work on Monday but was restricted to light duty and working on administrative projects, Chief Deputy Clarence Hunter said.
One senior firefighter, Matthew Clapp, who was injured in the incident, has not returned to work. His left leg was broken in two places.
Two others who were injured, Capt. Shane Boswell and senior firefighter Bryan Bachemin, were treated and released from Moses Cone Hospital the day of the fire.
The fire started when a portable light was accidentally dropped on the floor of the auto body shop, according to the fire department's report. The light fell on gasoline that leaked from a car that was on a lift.
Kevin Pettigrew, the interim fire marshal with the Greensboro Fire Department, said the fire spread quickly from the ground to the car on the lift, then up to the roof, making the fire more significant.
"The fire spread from vapors on the ground to the car," he said. "A car elevated on the lift took it (the fire) that much closer to the roof and led to the roof collapse. It was a premature structural failure because of the car on the lift. It could have been deadly."
Three of the four trapped firefighters were able to get out on their own. Suddarth had assistance getting out of the building.
The Greensboro Fire Department conducted its own internal analysis of what happened, said Hunter. It's something it always does anytime there is a fire with two alarms or more.
Hunter said there are some things the department has decided it will do differently, after examining its response to the fire. He declined to comment what they will be, since the whole department hasn't been briefed on them yet.
One thing that will be done, though is a closer inspection of the type of lights auto body shops use. This comes at the request of the N.C. Department of Labor, which said in its letter to the city that, "the Fire Department's Inspection group start examining trouble shooting lights in auto repair shops to determine compliance for use and approval in hazardous locations."
Hunter said the N.C. Department of Labor suggested using the fire code to enforce that proper lights be used to prevent this type of fire in the future.
Suitable portable lights have handles, hooks and guards attached to the handle or lamp holder, according to the Department of Labor code. All battery areas and wiring should be protected with insulation.
"Experience has shown that the majority of fires and explosions associated with portable lamp use in service garages have been caused by flammable liquid contacting an exposed hot lamp bulb. The thermal shock from the liquid shatters the lamp bulb glass, and the hot filament ignites the vapors," the code reads.
Most commercial businesses are inspected every three years, Pettigrew said. He has sent information about portable lights to the fire inspectors in his department.
As inspections come up for the businesses, the inspectors will be alert to watch for the portable lights to be sure they follow regulations.
"A lot of these places have been in business a long time, and when you get to electrical equipment, a lot can change in three years," Pettigrew said. "This was an eye-opening incident. We are a little more hypersensitive about this now."
Contact Sarah Newell Williamson at (336) 373-7076, and follow @snewell_NR on Twitter.
Copyright 2014 - News & Record, Greensboro, N.C.
