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Aerospace company appeals fines
| Thursday, Feb 7 2008 8:30 PM
Last Updated: Thursday, Feb 7 2008 8:59 PM
Scaled Composites has appealed citations after the aerospace company was accused of failing safety standards when three employees died in an explosion.
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Scaled Composites LLC of Mojave, Calif., is shown in this July 2007 file photo.
On July 26, employees of Scaled Composites were conducting a propellant test of nitrous oxide when an explosion happened at the Mojave Air & Space Port. Scaled Composites, the makers of SpaceShipOne, rents testing space there.
California's Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board investigated the incident. In January, the state issued $25,870 in fines against Scaled Composites.
The fines imposed on the company were for violations such as not providing procedures for identifying and evaluating workplace hazards and lack of monitoring exposures to nitrous oxide, according to the investigative summary report by the state.
The company filed notices of appeal for all the citations Feb. 5, according to Kate McGuire, spokeswoman for Cal OSHA.
Scaled Composites could not be reached for comment Thursday.
On the day of the explosion, employees were working on the rocket propulsion test site, according to the state's summary report.
Three seconds after flow of nitrous oxide began for the test, an explosion occurred, the report said.
Eric Blackwell, 38, of Randsburg; Charles May, 45, of Mojave; and Todd Ivens, 33, of Tehachapi died. Three others were injured.
The state will give its findings to the Kern County District Attorney's office to determine if there should be any criminal or civil sanctions, McGuire said.