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Spokane Valley sawmill facing thousands of dollars in fines for health, safety violations

Since opening its location in Spokane Valley in January, Fox Lumber has seen two fires at the location.

SPOKANE VALLEY, Wash. — A Spokane Valley sawmill is on the hot seat, facing thousands of dollars in fines for health and safety violations.

Since opening its location in Spokane Valley in January, Fox Lumber Sales has seen two fires at the location. One fire started when a spark flipped into a wall, and the other happened when staff were repairing a piece of equipment.

"They weren't sure if they had a spark go into our dust collection, which could fester, and if it lit up, [it] could cause a lot of problems," Quintin Apedaile, director of operations for Fox Lumber, said.

The Washington Department of Labor and Industries reports more safety concerns, with 61 violations concerning that and the health of staff, exceeding $126,000 in fines for Fox Lumber.

The report said sawdust was found up to five inches deep across the facility, saying the amount near space heaters presents a fire hazard. The Washington Department of Labor and Industries said the allowable amount of sawdust accumulation is 1/8 inch.

The report also said the site is subject to unprotected machinery, potential falling hazards and a perceived lack of worker training.

"There are some things we feel their investigator is not right on," Apedaile said.

Apedaile said Fox Lumber will be appealing the citations and fines. Apedaile said one reason is a small lumber sawmill known as Snow Peak operated at the location for 25 years before Fox Lumber moved to that location.

"It seemed that they were pretty adequate, so since we hadn't made many changes, I think those measures, their safety measures, were pretty adequate," Apedaile said. "Now, can those be improved? Almost always, you can find a way to improve it and we are interested in that."

KREM 2 News reached out to Dina Lorraine with the Washington Department of Labor and Industries Public Affairs to comment, but have not heard back. 

Any collected fines will contribute to the Washington Workers Pension Fund, going toward any workers and their families who are affected by the conditions of the sawmill.

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