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Upon locating all missing employees of the recent Nippon Dynawave chemical implosion site in Longview, WA, the Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) in Washington State reports that an official investigation has been opened, according to a KOMO 4 TV news report. The fatal workplace incident occurred on May 26, 2026.
L&I reported on June 1 that a workplace safety investigation is underway. Last week, a tank holding 500,000+ gallons of a significantly destructive chemical mixture used in paper manufacturing collapsed, resulting in deaths of 11 workers. Under investigation is whether there were safety violations related to the implosion.
The Washington agency is currently working with families of the deceased and injured workers to help them collect benefits from the state’s workers’ compensation fund, which allows for funeral service cost reimbursement, medical care and wage replacement, and survivor pensions.
In a statement to KOMO News, L&I Director Joel Sacks said, “We’re committed to getting to the bottom of this and figuring out what happened. In the coming months, L&I will be conducting a detailed investigation seeking answers and accountability.”
L&I operates as Washington’s regulatory authority for workplace safety, with ability to cite violations and levy fines pertaining to workplace health and safety rules. The agency noted that investigations must be completed in 180 days.
As part of the investigation, L&I investigators will interview witnesses and conduct a comprehensivephysical inspection of the site, then determine root causes, whether safety requirements were violated, and what penalties could apply, according to KOMO News.
After the investigation, L&I said it will hold a closing conference to share findings with the employer and worker representatives, including required corrections and on what timeline.
L&I said inspection results will be publish, including citations and penalties. The business will have 15 working days from the date of receipt of citations to initiate appeals, the agency said.
An incident response webpage has been created by L&I for ongoing updates to host the latest updates and information.
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