Lumber facility cited in fatal incident

California Division of Occupational Safety and Health has cited lumber producer Sierra Pacific Industries Inc. $108,300 for workplace safety and health violations after one of its employees died in an explosion in 2020.

An employee working for Sierra Pacific in Lincoln, California, was setting up an air compressor when a pipeline on that compressor exploded, causing pieces of the pipeline to hit two employees nearby, injuring one and killing another, according to a statement issued by Cal/OSHA on Thursday.

Cal/OSHA cited Sierra Pacific for nine violations, including three serious accident-related, three serious, and three general in nature, for failing to test the discharge piping prior to operating the compressor, among other alleged failures.

The company could not immediately be reached for comment.