INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -- A painting company was fined $21,000 Tuesday by a state safety agency over a truck blaze that killed two housepainters and severely burned 11 others.
In a settlement with the Indiana Occupational Safety and Health Administration, RPT Painting also agreed to donate $4,000 to a hospital, where one of the painters injured in the July fire was being treated.
The truck was traveling along Interstate 465 when the cargo space burst into flames. The housepainters were trapped until the driver pulled over.
The safety agency did not rule on the fire's cause, but cited RPT for allowing workers to smoke in the trucks near containers of paint, thinner and varnish.
Tim Crouse, director of industrial hygiene for the agency, said the state was satisfied that RPT has made the necessary safety improvements. The company could have been fined up to $70,000, he said.
