Monday, August 28, 2006
Tuna firm resumes operation
A FISH processing firm here resumed normal operations Thursday last week, a day after more than a dozen workers complained of dizziness.
Sta. Cruz Seafoods Inc. president and chief operating officer Joel Santos blamed the incident insufficient oxygen inside the facility.
Santos said one of the air ventilation systems inside the air-conditioned fish-processing facility malfunctioned prompting company officials to temporarily suspend operations.
"Our engineers have fixed the equipment and our operations resume to normal," he said.
The company president effectively denied reports the workers, who brought to a hospital here, were exposed to chemical poisoning.
He said the firm's technical personnel failed to immediately detect the malfunctioned air-ventilation system since it was covered by a screen.
He described the system as the reverse of an exhaust fan.
"It allows oxygen to enter the air-conditioned building. Because it malfunctioned, entry of oxygen was hampered that caused several workers to become dizzy," he said.
Reports said that 19 workers were rushed to a local hospital but only six were confined as the rest were discharged immediately.
Santos expressed confidence the untoward incident would not affect the company's reputation.
Santos said the workers' hospital expenses were shouldered by the firm, which recently was adjudged as the city's "Employer of the Year" during the annual Yaman Gensan or Yabong Maliliit na Negosyo sa Gensan contest.
Santa Cruz is processor of tuna sashimi, fillets and steaks for export to Japan, United States and the European Union.
It is also engaged in the production of tuna value-added products like embotido, burger patties, tocino, longganisa, sausage, lumpia shanghai, among others.
Other products of the firm for the local and exports markets are frozen roundscad (galunggong), frozen boneless marinated milkfish, marinated baby split milkfish, frozen octopus and frozen whole tuna.
For Bisaya stories from General Santos.Click here. (This section is updated every Monday)
(August 28, 2006 issue)
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