Longview Mill Cited After Worker Falls Into Sinkhole Under Hot Pulp
The agency says workers lacked protection from hot pulp and engulfment, and a pulp system was left out of a required hazardous materials piping safety program.
- By Danielle Naidu
- Nov 02, 2026
In April, a worker at Nippon Dynawave's mill in Longview, Washington, waded through pulp at approximately 145 degrees Fahrenheit to close a drain valve left open by mistake. He fell into a 4-foot sinkhole covered by 3 feet of spilled pulp as he tried to climb down after shutting it. The Washington State Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) has assessed $77,800 in penalties in the case.
L&I cited Nippon Dynawave for leaving workers unprotected from the spilled pulp's extreme heat and from engulfment. The agency also cited the company over its paper machine pulp system, which L&I said had to be covered by a hazardous materials piping safety program but was not. Nippon Dynawave can appeal within 15 days of the citation's issue date.
Inspectors said the worker would have gone completely under in pulp more than 7 feet deep had he not managed to grab a pipe. He eventually got a foot onto the edge of the sinkhole and climbed out.
Paper machine managers told L&I that spills of this kind happen roughly every two months, and at times more often. They also knew workers had waded into pulp to operate tank valves.
Since the incident, mill management has agreed to tell workers to keep out of pulp spill areas, inspectors said. It also agreed to create engineering controls and a procedure for closing valves without exposing employees.
This inspection was one of two L&I had open before the May 26 failure of a white liquor tank. Neither is tied to that fatal failure, the agency said. L&I is still investigating the tank failure.
About the Author
Danielle Naidu is assistant editor for Occupational Health & Safety and Environmental Protection Online.