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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Zodiac Aerospace’s Newport plant fined $1.3 million for safety violations related to explosion

A Newport, Washington, company has been fined $1.3 million for 17 “willful” safety violations that led to an explosion last summer.

The explosion at Zodiac Aerospace on July 14 was due to defective equipment and the lack of proper safety procedures for an industrial curing oven that was used to dry flammable resins, according to the Washington state Department of Labor and Industries.

A spokesman for Zodiac Aerospace declined to comment on the fine Tuesday afternoon.

The company “knowingly and willfully” exposed employees to the risk of serious injuries by not using safety interlock controls and safety procedures it was told were necessary by a consulting engineer, a Labor & Industries department news release said. Seventeen employees were injured in the incident, five of whom required hospitalization.

Read more: Here’s our background coverage of this incident.

An investigation into the accident also found that the plant had been evacuated 11 days before the explosion because of a buildup of flammable vapors, the release said.

The company was cited for an additional 18 serious safety violations. Zodiac Aerospace is now considered a severe violator and will be subject to follow-up inspections, the release said.

The plant, which employed 104 workers at the time of the explosion, reopened in early August.

The Newport plant, which produces materials used in the production of airplane cabin interiors, is part of a multinational corporation headquartered in France. Boeing and Airbus are among its clients.