A Whatcom County roofing product manufacturer was fined nearly $100,000 after an investigation into a worker’s death last summer revealed 17 serious workplace violations and one more general violation.
The Washington State Department of Labor and Industries reported in a news release Wednesday morning, Feb. 16, that it had levied $98,000 in fines against IKO Pacific in Sumas after a contractor in his 40s died July 17 when an agitator arm inside a tank he was cleaning turned on.
An investigation into the incident found IKO Pacific failed to control the power supply to the dangerous equipment and supervise work in a confined space, according to Wednesday’s release.
“It was clear this company knew what needed to be done since they had plans in place that, if properly implemented, could have prevented this tragedy,” Labor and Industries Assistant Director Craig Blackwood said in the release. “Lockout/tagout and energy control are fundamental safety measures that have long been commonplace on worksites. Tragic accidents like this one show exactly why they continue to be important.”
IKO Pacific has appealed the citation and fines, according to Wednesday’s release.
“We’re not going to have anything substantial to say at this time while the appeal process is ongoing, other than we are disappointed with L&I’s findings and the fine,” IKO Pacific spokesperson Derek Fee told The Bellingham Herald.
At the time of the fatal incident, Fee told The Herald that the man who died in the incident was a contractor.
“Our primary concern has been about the safety of the people working at our site,” Fee said. “We care deeply about those people, and again, we disagree with the findings, but we’ll have to let the appeal process unfold.”
Seven of the violations found in the Labor and Industries’ investigation reportedly stemmed from IKO Pacific not following its own energy control and lockout procedures, as the release stated the company failed to have an authorized employee specifically responsible for ensuring the safety of the tank.
Energy control incidents are the result of machinery unexpectedly or accidentally powering on and starting up because the power source is not shut off or “locked out,” according to the release.
“The investigation revealed IKO Pacific had a written energy control plan that, if followed, would have prevented the equipment from operating while the worker was inside the tank,” the release stated.
The remaining 10 serious violations were the result of confined space procedures not being followed, according to the release. Specifically, L&I reported finding and citing the company for failure to supervise and coordinate entry into a confined space, failure to prevent unauthorized entry and failure to provide adequate rescue.
“IKO had a written confined space entry program but did not implement many of these procedures,” the release states.
According to a 2021 release on its website, IKO is family-owned and operated business that began making roofing, waterproofing and insulation products in 1951 in Canada. It operates 15 manufacturing plants throughout North America and and another 20 in Europe and employs more than 3,500 workers.
