DOL Federal Occupation Safety and Health inspectors found sawmill company in Missouri exposed employee to the same unguarded saw that claimed the life of a 21-year-old worker weeks earlier.
A 21-year-old worker at a sawmill in Brashear tragically lost his life on January 11, 2023, after being pulled into the spinning vertical edger blades of a Hurdle saw while learning to operate it.
His employer, Don Gibson, owner of Missouri Mats, failed to report the fatality to OSHA, leading to a delayed investigation until January 18, 2023.
“After a young man — new to the job — died after suffering horrific injuries, Don Gibson and the Missouri Mats’ management team continued to use the equipment involved in the fatality without taking appropriate steps to eliminate the danger and protect employee,” said OSHA Regional Administrator Billie Kizer.
OSHA investigators issued a letter to Gibson upon arriving at the site, directing the company to address amputation hazards and report the corrective actions taken.
However, when inspectors returned on March 1, 2023, they found that necessary safety measures were still not implemented, leading to an imminent danger notice being placed on the saw.
OSHA cited Missouri Mats with two willful, 53 serious, and two other-than-serious safety and health violations, proposing $346,954 in penalties. The company was also placed in OSHA's Severe Violator Enforcement Program.
During the investigation, it was discovered that workers under 18 were employed at the sawmill and operating heavy-powered industrial trucks, a hazardous violation of federal law.
Numerous safety failures and hazards were identified at the sawmill, including the absence of machine guards, inadequate lockout/tagout procedures, fall hazards and insufficient worker training on equipment use and safety protocols.
Gibson has previously been investigated by OSHA for safety violations at a logging site and another sawmill he owns in Missouri.
Missouri Mats, which deals with various tree species and sells lumber products, has 15 business days to comply with the citations and penalties, request an informal conference, or contest the findings before the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.
