Logging Company Cited for Exposing Workers to Safety Hazards
Ray Clearing Inc. has been fined more than $35,000 by OSHA.
Ray Clearing Inc., a logging company in Bickmore, W.Va., has been cited for 22 serious and one other-than-serious safety violation by OSHA. An inspection discovered that employees using chainsaws to cut 12-inch diameter trees without the proper protection and a lack of head protection for employees working in woods.
Other violations, according to OSHA's news release, included employees exposed to falls and crushing injuries when permitted to ride as passengers on vehicles without an assigned seat and seat belt and operating a chainsaw with a broken chain catch while exposed employees to a struck-by hazards involving a broken or dislodged chain.
"Logging is an inherently dangerous industry, and when the necessary safeguards are not utilized, workers are left vulnerable to hazards that can result in serious injuries and possibly death," said Prentice Cline, director of OSHA's Charleston Office. "Employers have a legal obligation to ensure workers have a safe and healthy workplace and will be held accountable when they fail to do so."