The Occupational Safety and Health Administration cited a Baileyville, Maine, wood pulp mill with more than $700,000 in penalties, the Department of Labor announced July 30. A federal investigation found the employer repeatedly exposed workers to serious chemical hazards that contributed to the deaths of two employees.
The citation represents one of the largest OSHA penalty actions in the New England manufacturing sector in recent years. The investigation determined that the facility’s failures were systemic, involving repeated exposure to hazardous chemicals rather than an isolated incident.
OSHA’s investigation was triggered by the worker fatalities, which mandate a federal workplace safety review. Investigators found violations related to chemical hazard communication, exposure controls, and worker protection protocols, according to the department.
The two workers died as a result of chemical exposure at the facility, which processes wood pulp — a manufacturing operation that involves multiple hazardous substances including chlorine compounds and sulfur-based chemicals used in pulping processes.
The penalty amount reflects the severity and willful nature of the violations identified, OSHA said. Federal workplace safety law allows the agency to impose enhanced penalties when employers demonstrate awareness of hazards but fail to take corrective action.
Industrial chemical hazard exposure remains a leading cause of workplace fatalities in the United States. The penalty amount and severity of violations in the Baileyville case set an enforcement precedent that affects safety compliance calculations for manufacturing facilities across the country.
The mill has the right to contest the citations before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission, which adjudicates disputes between OSHA and cited employers. The Department of Labor did not identify the specific company operating the facility in its initial release.