The button factory explosion

It was just after the afternoon tea break on April 13, 1965, at the General Plastics factory in Kuripuni in Masterton.
The big factory’s workers had been at work the whole day, lunchtime had been taken and the 70 workers were now thinking about knock off time.
At the 3pm teatime, most staff went on their break with just a few still working. Just as they were making their way back to their work stations, a massive explosion rocked the factory.
It was so big and so loud that later, workers in different parts of Masterton both heard it and felt it rattle their buildings.
At the factory, which was making buttons, the entire roof was blown off along with part of a wall.
Fire then gutted nearly all of the factory.
The fire brigade raced to the building but were unable to save it. It was insured for £37,000.
Flames were said to have reached 60ft.
Once the fire was out and the staff, who had fled the building, were counted, six were injured and four were missing.
At an inquiry staff said they had noticed an odd smell before the explosion. Beryl Castle said she had asked a supervisor about the smell and he went to investigate but wasn’t seen again before the explosion happened.
Beryl said she managed to get out through a hole in the wall where a window blew out.
Richard Swanson said he also noticed a strong smell just before the explosion and came to just having escaped having the roof fall on him.
Joan O’Hara told the inquiry that the factory was not well ventilated.
In fact the explosion was caused by dust.
Dust had collected for years in and under the floor of the factory and a short circuit in one of the button-making machines sparked the fire that caused the explosion.
An expert who spoke to the inquiry, Percy Clark, said the dust was highly explosive. He had investigated various possible sources and had ruled out sources like light bulbs.
He thought that the spark would have created the fire that spread like a shock wave igniting more and more piles of dust.
It was not thought the company understood how dangerous the dust was.
The commission of inquiry later recommended that legislation was put in place to regulate ventilation and accumulation of dust.
The four people who died were Kenneth Bull, 32, Olive Victoria Parker, 61, Tilly Himona, 44 and Maisie Louisa Cavanagh, 51. All but Maisie is buried at Masterton’s Archer St cemetery. Maisie is buried at the Papawai Urupā in Greytown.​