Georgia lumber mill repeatedly exposes workers to falls, electrocution and other workplace safety hazards

Employer name: Interstate Resources Inc., doing business as RB Lumber LLC

Inspection site: 2366-2 Interstate Paper Road, Riceboro, Georgia 31323

Citations issued: Citations were issued on Oct. 19, 2015.

Investigation findings: The Occupational Safety and Health Administration cited RB Lumber for two repeated and two serious safety violations.

The agency cited repeat violations by RB Lumber for failing to provide fall protection equipment to employees working and walking on top of machinery and for exposing workers to electrical hazards. OSHA cited the company for similar violations in 2011 at the Riceboro, Georgia, facility.

The serious violations include exposing workers to unguarded machine parts and struck-by hazards.

Proposed penalties total $59,100.

Quote: "RB Lumber continues to expose workers to hazards that were previously identified by inspectors. There is no reason we should be finding these hazards again," said Robert Vazzi, director of OSHA's Savannah Area Office. "It's management's responsibility to protect workers and they must take action immediately."

The citations can be viewed at: http://www.dol.gov/opa/media/press/osha/OSHA20152000fs.pdf

RB Lumber has 15 business days from receipt of their citations and proposed penalties to comply, request a conference with OSHA's area director or contest the findings before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission. To ask questions, obtain compliance assistance, file a complaint, or report amputations, eye loss, 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 Savannah Area Office at 912-652-4393.