Fire incident in Toyota Material Handling Europe’s factory in Ancenis

The incident occurred at 10:50 on Monday, when a fire broke out in the painting line. It was brought under control within 35 minutes. One colleague sustained minor localised burns to the lower part of one leg and received medical treatment. The colleague has since left hospital and is recovering at home. Five other employees were examined for minor smoke inhalation and did not require further medical attention. 

All production in the facility was stopped, and production employees left the site as a precaution. The evacuation and emergency response were managed effectively in coordination with the local authorities. Thanks to the prompt and professional response of the Ancenis and French Regional Fire Brigade, together with our on-site teams, the fire was quickly brought under control and contained to the painting line. Certain parts of the paint line have sustained significant damage, while the rest of the building seems not affected as per first observation. The full extent of the damage and the cause of the fire are still being investigated. 

“Safety is always the number one priority for Toyota Material Handling Europe. Our immediate focus following the incident has been on the safety and well-being of our colleagues. We are now investigating the incident thoroughly and making responsible plans for a structured and safe restart of production,” says Philippe Mahe, Managing Director Toyota Material Handling Manufacturing France. 

Impact and work going forward 
The focus is now on safely resuming production in unaffected parts of the facility, while the paint line remains out of operation. 
“We are taking this incident very seriously. An investigation into the incident, including its root cause and appropriate mitigation actions, is underway. At the same time, we are working to resume operations in a structured and safe manner, with the safety of our employees as our first priority,” says Ernesto Domínguez, President and Acting SVP Supply Operations at Toyota Material Handling Europe.