The Health and Safety Authority is continuing its investigation into yesterday's explosion in a boilerhouse at the Haribo sweet factory in Finglas, Dublin.
One worker remained in a critical condition in the Mater hospital last night while a second man who received serious injuries was being treated at Beaumont Hospital.
A third man who had been removed from the site by ambulance was treated for shock and was later released from hospital.
The explosion happened at about 7am at the Dunhills Confectionery Production Ltd factory on McKee Avenue. The injured workers were maintenance staff, aged in their 20s and 30s. The factory employs 53 staff and has been manufacturing confectionery in Dublin since 1998. It is part of the international Haribo group.
Four Dublin Fire Brigade appliances from Finglas, Dorset Street and Swords attended the scene and the site was made safe within two hours.
The fire service also dispatched ambulances from Swords, Phibsboro and Finglas to take the injured men to hospital.
A spokesman for the HSA said a three-man inspection team visited the scene yesterday morning and began an investigation into the cause of the explosion.
The factory would also be conducting its own investigation into the incident, a spokeswoman said. Chris Shaw, director of Dunhills Confectionary Production said his thoughts went out to the family and friends of the injured men. "Our first priority at the moment is to the wellbeing of the injured members of staff as well as the rest of the team in Dublin who are obviously very shaken by today's incident."
A factory spokeswoman said the cause of the incident was not yet clear. "The Health and Safety Authority are on site carrying out preliminary investigations and we will release further details as and when they become available."
Bord Gáis inspectors called to the scene early yesterday and a spokeswoman said they confirmed that the gas installation and the pipework was sound.
She said it appeared that the problem involved the boiler. She said Bord Gáis would be assisting the HSA with its investigation.
The production site was closed off after the incident and staff were sent home. The factory spokeswoman said the factory was awaiting the advice of the HSA and the Garda Síochána before deciding when the plant would reopen.
A lone garda stood behind a cordon at the delivery entrance to the plant yesterday morning. The factory door was closed and a woman said there would be no comment until later in the day. She said two company directors were coming from Britain to assess the situation.
The factory is across the street from a row of houses but most local residents heard nothing.
Anthony Monnelly said he heard "a bit of a bang" at the time of the explosion "but I didn't take any notice of it". Later he spotted the television cameras outside the house and thought they were making a film.
"I was getting ready to cut the grass when I was talking to a neighbour and she told me what happened," he said. "There's been nothing like this at the factory before."
