Operations have begun again at the John Deere facility the employs several people who were injured when an unrelated chemical storage facility exploded in Tianjin, China.
Hundreds of people were injured in explosions August 3, 2015, that originated at a warehouse site owned by Tianjin Dongjiang Port Rui Hai International Logistics Co., a company that stores and transports dangerous chemicals. Doors and windows were blown out, ceilings were damaged, and at least one water pipe was damaged at a John Deere facility located about six miles away from the blast, and the Deere facility suspended operations.
Some workers were injured by broken glass, according to John Deere spokesman Ken Golden; other John Deere employees - who were home at the time of the explosion - suffered serious injuries. One John Deere employee and his wife were still hospitalized after they were injured in their home, Golden said.
Deere suspended operations in Tianjin following the explosions. Although repair work was ongoing at the facilities, production work resumed Thursday, August 20, for the 1,300 people employed by John Deere there, Golden said.
"Damage repair to windows, doors and building components will continue. Deere does not plan to comment publicly on the economic impact as the amount is not likely to be material to the overall business results of the company," Golden said.
The company was also offering onsite counseling to any employee coping with the emotional impact of the explosion.