ConAgra Foods has agreed to pay a fine of $106,440 and take steps to improve safety at its Slim Jim plant in Garner as a result of the explosion in June that killed four people and injured dozens more.
The state Department of Labor found 26 serious health and safety violations at the plant and initially fined the company nearly $135,000. As a result of the settlement announced Tuesday, the company waived its right to contest the citations or the penalties.
Among other things, ConAgra agreed to prescreen the safety compliance records of contractors working at the plant and to work with them in advance to address potential safety and health hazards.
Investigators say the explosion occurred as a contractor was trying to light a gas-fired water heater inside a pump room at the plant. A contract worker had improperly purged a new fuel supply line, allowing gas to vent into the enclosed room, according to the Labor Department.
The Labor Department has also cited the contractor hired to install the water heater, Energy Systems Analysts of Hickory, and fined it $58,100. That matter is still pending.
State law allows the Labor Department to fine companies no more than $7,000 for each serious safety violation, and requires that it consider various factors in setting the fine, including the company's safety record and its cooperation with investigators.
Department officials say the penalties are not designed to make up for the injuries or loss of life, but are meant to penalize the company and encourage safety in others with similar workplaces. The fines go into a fund that distributes money to public schools in the state.
