Crest Foam to remain closed

Crest Foam workers and relatives of the deceased workers camp outside the factory premises in March. PHOTO BY STEPHEN OTAGE.

What you need to know:

Labour State minister Kamanda Bataringaya says the factory will be allowed to reopen when the cause of the fire has been established.

Kampala

Government has rejected a request by Crest Foam mattress factory to reopen before findings of the investigations into the fire that killed six workers are out.
The Labour State minister Kamanda Bataringaya said the factory will be allowed to reopen when the cause of the fire has been established.

Mr Bataringaya said the two reports, which are near completion, are being done by police and the ministry itself.

Touring the factory on Stretcher Road in Ntinda, Kampala, Mr Bataringaya said the two reports on the tragic incident are expected to be released next week.
“Our technical people came here, inspected the factory and made investigations. Even I as the minister, for Labour, had to come and see exactly where the fire was, what could have caused it, the damage it caused and sympathise with the people,” said Mr Bataringaya.

He said Crest Foam is also required to compensate the bereaved families and the injured victims before it is allowed to resume operation.
During the tour, the minister observed that the factory had not put in place risk mitigation systems.

“The factory had only one entrance and by the time fire gutted their factory, workers had nowhere to pass. They need to have another emergency exit so that in case of danger someone can easily escape,” the minister said.

The Crest Foam managing director, Ms Joseline Kateeba, said the factory incurred huge losses which will take a long time to recover. “We are going to rebuild the factory since it was badly affected. We have also been advised to pull down some structures. This is a very trying moment for us,” said Ms Kateebe.

It is estimated the factory incurred a Shs6 billion loss due to the fire that destroyed the mattress factory’s storage and production unit on March 9. Six people died in the inferno.

Ms Kateeba said the factory would compensate the bereaved families.The factory had 125 employees. It started in 1986 and has been one of the leading mattress factories.