OCTOBER 2020
U.S. OSHA has cited Southern Wood Components LLC – based in Moultrie, Georgia – for exposing employees to hazardous energy and caught-by hazards after an employee fatality. The wood product manufacturer faces more than $55,000 in penalties.
An employee suffered fatal injury when their clothing became caught on the shaft of a conveyor. OSHA cited the company for failing to ensure that energy control procedures contained specific steps to limit the release of hazardous energy, provide lockout/tagout devices for machines and equipment, and train employees to recognize hazardous energy sources.
OSHA also cited the company for allowing employees to operate powered industrial trucks without training, and for failing to conduct an inspection of the lockout program at least annually, provide appropriate machine guarding and reduce compressed air to a safe level before allowing employees to use it for cleaning.
"Workers who perform service and maintenance on machines and equipment must be trained on how to lockout and disable machinery to prevent unintentional startup," said OSHA Savannah Area Office Director Margo Westmoreland. "Fatalities can be prevented if employers comply with OSHA standards, as required by law."
Southern Wood provides packaging components, customized pallets, cut-to-size lumber, truss components, and more.
Wood Products Company Cited after Fatal Incident
U.S. OSHA Cites Wood Products Manufacturer for Exposing Employees To Electrical and Mechanical Hazards After Fatality
Southern Wood Components LLC, as shown on Google Maps