A preliminary investigation has found an explosion of a forklift propane tank seriously injuring an employee in a Chester plant to be an accident.

While refueling, the forklift operator at a Kimberly-Clark Corp paper mill noticed a leak in a canister and was attempting to cut off flow of the fuel from a storage tank.

The Chester Fire Department used foam to extinguish the resulting blaze on 7 August, rescued the employee and transported the man to Crozer-Chester Medical Center in Upland, Pennsylvania. His identity was not disclosed.

The diagnosis: second-degree burns on a leg and the upper portion of his body.

Dallas, Texas-based publicly traded Kimberly-Clark mostly uses advanced technologies in fibres, non-wovens and absorbency in making personal care, consumer tissue, professional and healthcare products.

Investigators for Kimberly-Clark and public agencies are further exploring the circumstances of the incident.