OSHA fines mill for violations

14 years ago

OSHA fines mill for violations

By Kathy McCarty

Staff Writer

    PRESQUE ISLE — A local business was cited Sept. 21 for 15 alleged violations, following a worker’s death in March of this year.
    “The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration has cited Columbia Forest Products Inc. for 15 alleged willful and serious violations of workplace safety standards, following the March 22 death of a worker at the company’s mill in Presque Isle,” said William Coffin, OSHA’s area director for Maine. 

    Thomas Bray, 57, of Woodland, was fatally injured around 7:47 p.m. while working on equipment at the plant during his shift March 22. He was transported by Crown Ambulance to The Aroostook Medical Center, where he died as the result of his injuries a short time later.
    “The worker died when he became caught in moving parts of a machine known as a stacker, which activated while he was inside the machine performing maintenance,” explained Coffin.
    A subsequent investigation by OSHA found that the machine had not been turned off and its power source had not been locked out to prevent its unintended startup, as required under OSHA’s hazardous energy control, or lockout/tagout, standard.
    “This is exactly the type of incident this standard is intended to prevent. Had proper lockout/tagout procedures been used, this needless death could have been avoided,” said Coffin. “What’s especially disturbing is that this employer well knows the requirements to power down and lock out machinery, yet ignored them.”
    The company received a number of citations and fines in connection with the incident.
    “OSHA issued Columbia Forest Products one willful citation, with the maximum proposed penalty of $70,000, for failing to de-energize and lock out the stacker,” said Coffin.
    OSHA defines a willful violation as “one committed with plain indifference to or intentional disregard for employee safety and health.”
    The company was also issued 14 serious citations, with $49,500 in fines, for defective fork trucks, lack of access stairs, no eye flushing facilities for employees working with corrosives, several machine guarding and electrical hazards, and additional lockout/tagout hazards.
     “OSHA issues serious citations when death or serious physical harm is likely to result from hazards about which the employer knew or should have known,” Coffin said.
    The wood products manufacturer, located on Missile Street, faces a total of $119,500 in proposed fines.
    Detailed information on lockout/tagout standard and safeguards, including an interactive eTool, is available online at www.osha.gov/SLTC/controlhazardousenergy/index.html.
    “Columbia Forest Products Inc. has 15 business days from receipt of its citations and proposed penalties to comply, meet with OSHA or contest the findings before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Commission,” said Coffin.
    The inspection, according to Coffin, was conducted by OSHA’s Bangor District Office.
    To report workplace accidents, fatalities or situations posing imminent danger to workers, call OSHA’s toll-free hotline at 800-321-6742. The Greensboro, N.C.-based business, founded in 1957, employs over 2,000 at facilities throughout the U.S. and Canada. Company officials were unavailable for comment at presstime.