The company at the center of a deadly chemical implosion in Longview was subject to past safety citations by the state.
Nippon Dynawave Packaging was under investigation by the Washington Department of Labor and Industries (L&I) for two unrelated incidents when the blast took place, and had received four prior safety citations since 2020, according to the state.
The past safety citations and ongoing inspections are not linked to the tank that exploded. This information comes as crews are still investigating the cause of the deadly blast.
Representatives with the state’s L&I department confirmed that one of the open inspections came as a result of an anonymous complaint about a valve on an aqua ammonia clarifier tank. It was not the same tank that imploded. The other open inspection was opened after a complaint about a sinkhole created by a failed drain.
In 2020, the company was cited for failure to deactivate or lock out equipment before going in to clean it. The company received two safety citations in 2021, one involving fall-related hazards and another involving face coverings.
None of the past citations or open inspections, other than one opened as a result of the incident, are related to the tank that imploded.
KIRO 7 asked Joel Sacks, Washington’s L&I Director, about the past citations and open investigations at a press conference on Wednesday.
“There are a number of open inspections and I can’t speak to them today,” he said. “Once they are concluded, we will be able to release the information. We will be also conducting an investigation on the incident that occurred on Tuesday.”
Ron Austin, a lawyer specializing in personal injury cases in Texas (including explosion cases), offered insight into what he typically looks for in such investigations.
“You’re going to find some violations a lot of times,” he said.
Austin said he would also look toward internal communications, including texts or emails about the piece of equipment involved in the incident.
“Any sort of form of communications they’ve had concerning that tank, and our safety, you want that preserved,” he said.
Finally, in the absence of clear documentation, Austin said he also looks for testimony from current or former employees of companies in these situations.
“I’ll say this to you, things just don’t blow up, right? It just doesn’t happen,” Austin said.
He stressed that in some cases, these cases can take time.
“Know that it’s a marathon, and it’s not a sprint, but justice usually prevails,” he said.
Crews have not yet identified what caused the blast. Questions about the cause of the implosion and who may be at fault continue to be investigated.
KIRO 7 reached out to the company. A representative took down their information, but they have not received a response.
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