NEWPORT — State investigators say that a violent explosion last July at an aerospace supplier’s factory near Spokane could have been prevented. The blast injured 17 workers and temporarily stopped production at Zodiac Cabin &Structures Support, a subsidiary of French multinational Zodiac Aerospace.
The Department of Labor &Industries (L&I) has fined the company $1.316 million for safety and health violations at the Newport plant. Zodiac has 15 days to appeal. Investigators found that the company used defective equipment and ignored procedures for safely handling inflammamble materials during the curing process.
On the night of July 14, a curing oven exploded, toppling large machinery and lifting the floor from the foundation.
“Had this explosion occurred during the day when many more workers were present, there could have been many more injuries and possibly even deaths,” said Anne Soiza, L&I assistant director of the Division of Occupational Safety and Health, in a statement on Tuesday.
The accident was “highly predictable given the operating conditions,” she said.
The department also cited the company for more than 20 lesser safety violations, including exposing workers to harmful vapors.
Due to the numerous violations, the state has labeled Zodiac Cabin &Structures Support as a “severe violator.” That makes it subject to follow-on inspections to see if workplace conditions have improved.
It took more than a month for the plant to resume regular operations.
Dan Catchpole: 425-339-3454; dcatchpole@heraldnet.com; Twitter: @dcatchpole.
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