This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2015, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
The ashes were still cooling Friday as Autoliv officials began an internal investigation into what led to an explosion at their Box Elder County Promontory airbag manufacturing plant.
The Promontory plant, near Corinne, was rocked by a blast about 4:15 p.m. Thursday, seriously injuring a 50-year-old employee. Box Elder County Chief Deputy Sheriff Dale Ward said the worker was flown by helicopter to McKay-Dee Hospital in Ogden, where he remained Friday under care for head and burn injuries.
Autoliv spokesman Tom Hajkus said Friday he was unable to provide further details about the employee's condition due to privacy and health laws.
The incident occurred as the victim and another employee were removing material from an incinerator and preparing to put in a second batch, The second worker was not injured.
The company noted that the injured worker had "evacuated the building on his own, and was attended to by the on-shift EMT and local emergency response team."
Hajkus said the workers were disposing of "remnants either not used, or left over from the process or ones that do not meet our strict quality guidelines" in the recycling area on the Promontory complex.
He said the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration had been notified of the explosion.
The site's recycling structure was heavily damaged, but firefighters from the county, Tremonton and ATK kept the flames from spreading to other property.
Autoliv, which is based in Sweden, also operates plants in Brigham City, Ogden and Tremonton.
The same plant, 65 miles northwest of Salt Lake City, was the scene of a flash fire in September 2013 that left a 29-year-old Tooele man with burns to his arms and face. That incident occurred as the man was working on an air-conditioning unit.
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