Fire at Stryker plant leads to another evacuation

The fire broke at the medical tech firm’s Springhill facility is the third incident since April

Workers outside the Stryker plant, Tullagreen, Carrigtwohill IDA in April. Picture: Eddie O'Hare

One of Stryker’s Cork plants was evacuated again Thursday morning following a small fire.

The fire broke out at the medical technology company’s Springhill facility at around 7.30am and the building was subsequently evacuated as a precaution.

The internal sprinkler system brought the fire under control and workers re-entered the plant at around 9am. There were no injuries reported.

“A fire alarm was activated this morning at our Springhill facility,” a Stryker spokesperson told the Irish Examiner.

“As per our strict safety procedures, we immediately evacuated all employees. There were no injuries and our facility resumed operations shortly afterwards.”

The spokesperson said that the firm’s “greatest focus and priority” is “the health and safety of our people”.

“Through our employee health and safety initiatives, we continue to work tirelessly to provide a safe and secure working environment for all employees.”

Siptu sector organiser Neil McGowan said the incident was “very worrying in the context of it being part of the sequence of events in recent weeks.”

On April 18, two men were injured, one seriously, in an apparent mini-explosion and fire at the company’s Anngrove facility in Carrigtwohill. The Health and Safety Authority (HSA) is investigating the incident.

On the morning of April 25, Cork County Fire Service and gardaí were called to the firm’s Tullagreen facility following reports of a fire. All staff were safely evacuated and sent home for the remainder of their shift.

Mr McGowan said Siptu has received three labor court recommendations that the company should engage with it on “not just this, but a whole range of issues”.

“They have refused point blank to do that,” he said

Speaking in the Dáil on Thursday, Cork North-Central TD Mick Barry said the recent fires “were just the latest in a series of health and safety incidents” at Stryker’s plants.

“Stryker management have refused requests for a meeting with trade union representatives of the workforce in the wake of the April fires to discuss health and safety,” he said.

Labour's Sean Sherlock has demanded ministerial intervention with Stryker HQ in Michigan to ensure the personal safety of workers is protected.

Cork East TD said: “The latest incident at Stryker is not only a worry for workers but also for the wider community, who want to ensure that workers are safe and that there is no risk to life and limb.” “The taxpayer, through IDA is a significant investor in companies like Stryker.“ 

He said the number of breaches in health and safety regulations at Stryker has become a serious cause for concern.

"There is now a risk to the Ireland’s reputation as a leader in inward investment in the medical devices sector. The very least the company should be doing now is facilitating meetings with union representatives to give a real and meaningful voice to workers for when incidents like this occur."