A Texas lumber company faces almost $400,000 in penalties after the death of an 86-year-old worker in a fall from wood pallets last summer, according to a U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) news release.
The DOL's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) proposed $398,706 in penalties against W. D. Townley and Son Lumber Company in Henderson, Texas, according to the Feb. 3 release. OSHA's investigation, which began a few weeks after the worker's death in early July, found that the lumber company, among other things, exposed its workers to hazardous energy sources and lacked machine guarding.
"Sawmill operations can be hazardous work, but it should not be life-threatening," OSHA Area Director Basil Singh, based in Dallas, said in the news release. "W. D. Townley and Son Lumber Company showed a complete disregard for their employees' well-being. OSHA will hold employers accountable when they neglect their legal responsibility to provide workers with a safe workplace."
OSHA describes sawmill work as "one of the most dangerous occupations in the United States" with equipment that "poses numerous hazards" and working conditions that include massive weights and often falling, rolling, and sliding logs, which can be extremely dangerous.
"The woodworking operations of a sawmill can also be hazardous, particularly when machines are used improperly or without proper safeguards," OSHA said on its website. "Woodworking employees often suffer from the following injuries: lacerations, amputations, severed fingers, and blindness. Wood dust and chemicals used for finishing products may cause skin and respiratory diseases. Sawmill hazards are even more dangerous when environmental conditions are factored in, such as uneven, unstable, or rough terrain; inclement weather; or isolated work sites where health care facilities are not immediately accessible."
In its news release, OSHA cited Townley and Son for willful violations of legally required use of energy control procedures and having a hearing conservation program. OSHA also cited Townley and Son for "serious violations" lacking machine guarding, leaving operation-powered industrial truck hazards unaddressed, failing to use personal protective equipment, and not notifying OSHA within eight hours of the worker's death.
The lumber company had until Feb. 23 to abate the OSHA-identified violations.
