OSHA cites Arkansas sawmill operator after worker death

The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration said Wednesday it cited an Arkansas sawmill operator following a February workplace fatality.

OSHA cited Beirne-based Anthony Timberlands Inc. for four serious violations and proposed $218,759 in penalties after an employee was crushed by a component of a lumber stacking machine at the company’s Bearden sawmill.

Inspectors said the company’s lumber stacking system was installed in July 2022 without any barrier devices designed to prevent workers from entering the area beneath the stacker hoist.

The company also failed to provide lockout/tagout procedures to prevent machines from activating during maintenance, and it failed to ensure guards were placed beneath the stacking system, OSHA said.

The company, which has 15 business days to contest the citation and penalties, was also cited in August 2022 after another worker was killed by an unguarded sharp chain that improperly activated at another one of its sawmills.