Maine Sawmill Fined for Repeat and Serious Violations
OSHA inspectors discovered the multiple cited violations during a December inspection.
OSHA inspectors discovered seven serious and three repeat violations at a sawmill in Maine. The NC Hunt Inc. mill in Jefferson now owes $79,310 in penalties for the violations.
The serious violations included a work truck with a defective emergency break. Additionally, there was machinery being used that did not have protective guards, an ungrounded extension cord, and incomplete energy control procedures.
"The repeat violations include not using energy control procedures to prevent employees from being struck by a logging carriage and for a lack of barriers and warning signage to prevent entry to the logging carriage path and elevated walkways that lacked required guardrails," according to a statement on the OSHA website. Violations similar to these were addressed in a 2009 investigation.
"These recurring hazards exposed employees to the hazards of falls and being struck by machinery. It's imperative that employers take effective and ongoing action to ensure that hazards, once corrected, remain corrected," said William Coffin, OSHA's area director for Maine, in a statement on the OSHA website.
For safety information specific to sawmills, visit the OSHA website.