The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration said Tuesday that it cited a Georgia sawmill after a worker was killed while attempting to clear a log jam in a woodchipper.
OSHA cited Hazlehurst-based Thompson Hardwoods Inc. for one “willful” violation and proposed $267,327 in penalties for the December 2023 incident in which the woodchipper inadvertently activated.
Coworkers attempted to render first-aid, but the employee died after being transported to a nearby hospital.
OSHA said Thompson failed to document and follow hazardous energy control procedures to prevent caught-in and struck-by hazards.
The agency also cited the company for a “repeat” violation for failing to apply lockout/tagout devices to isolate energy sources, and it was additionally cited for two “serious” violations for failing to train employees on proper procedures to control energy and for failing to enclose the chain and sprocket on the woodchipper’s outfeed.
Thompson is owned by Beasley Johnson Holdings Inc., a Delaware corporation.
