US Department of Labors OSHA cites Dudley Lumber Co. for serious safety violations; nearly $107,000 in proposed penalties

SALEM, Ala. — Dudley Lumber Co. Inc. has been cited by the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration for 26 safety and health violations following an August 2013 inspection at the company's facility in Salem. OSHA initiated the inspection as part of the agency's national emphasis program on amputations and noise. The proposed penalties total $106,650.

"I am concerned by this employer's lack of effort to protect workers from hazards, such as unguarded machinery, hearing damage and fire hazards," said Joseph Roesler, OSHA's area director in Mobile. "Earning a paycheck should not require exposure to risk of serious injury or death because an employer chose not to put worker safety first."

Twenty-one serious violations involve the employer failing to provide workers with locks to prevent equipment startup while they were working in and around machinery; provide seat belts on powered industrial equipment and require their usage; and no emergency eyewash and body-wash stations for workers handling corrosive materials. Additionally, the employer exposed workers to noise in excess of the established limits and to amputation and struck-by hazards from unguarded equipment. To view the current citations and the five other-than-serious violations, visit http://www.osha.gov/ooc/citations/DudleyLumberCompanyInc_934646_0212_14.pdfhttp://www.osha.gov/ooc/citations/DudleyLumberCompanyInc_930842_0212_14.pdf

A serious violation occurs when there is substantial probability that death or serious physical harm could result from a hazard about which the employer knew or should have known.

OSHA has conducted two inspections at the sawmill since 2004. These inspections were conducted in Alabama at the Salem and Lafayette facilities. In 2004, the company was cited with six serious violations and one other-than-serious violation, resulting in $7,200 in proposed penalties. Dudley Lumber has paid those penalties.

The company has 15 business days from receipt of the citations and proposed penalties to comply, request a conference with OSHA's area director, or contest the findings before the Occupational Safety & Health Review Commission.

Dudley Lumber operates saw and planer mills in Salem and Lafayette and employs approximately 130 workers.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, preliminary data from the Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries shows fatal work injuries in Alabama accounted for 81 of the 4,383 fatal work injuries reported in 2012. Additional details are available at http://bls.gov/iif/home.htm.

To ask questions, obtain compliance assistance, file a complaint, or report workplace hospitalizations, fatalities or situations posing imminent danger to workers, the public should call OSHA's toll-free hotline at 800-321-OSHA (6742) or the agency's Mobile Area Office at 251-441-6131.

Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, employers are responsible for providing safe and healthful workplaces for their employees. OSHA's role is to ensure these conditions for America's working men and women by setting and enforcing standards, and providing training, education and assistance. For more information, visit http://www.osha.gov.