Huffman and Wright Logging Co: OSHA inspections and violations

Incident on Apr 4, 2007: Employee is injured when struck by log

On April 4, 2007, an employee, a rigging slinger, was presetting chokers with co worker on a swing yarder with a motorized carriage. They had set a turn of four logs under the lines and thee employee cleared out to the side of the lines wher e the choker setter was working in the felled and bucked timber. The go ahead si gnal was given and as the lines tightened a log in the turn swung around and str uck the employee in the arm and back. The employee was thrown into the choker se tter who was not injured. Thee employee was transported to a local hospital, whe re he was hospitalized and treated for his injuries.

Incident on Jan 19, 2006 (fatal): Employee is killed by exploding gas can

On January 19, 2006, Employee #1 and a coworker were performing maintenance on a log loader. A warming fire had been started due to the cold rainy weather that day. At approximately 8:00 a.m., the coworker left the area to make a phone call to check on parts. When he returned at approximately 8:15 a.m., he discovered E mployee #1 lying in the log deck, approximately 35 feet from the warming fire, e ngulfed in flames. There was another fire approximately 20 feet away from the wa rming fire. This fire had been a five-gallon plastic gasoline container that pre viously contained approximately .5 gallon of gasoline. It is surmised that the w arming fire had been going out, and Employee #1 poured gasoline on it. The fuel can apparently exploded and killed him.

Incident on Oct 16, 2002: Employee injured when struck by log

On October 16, 2002, Employee #1, a choker setter, was struck by a log rolling d own hill during a logging operation. While attempting to outrun the runaway log, his legs became pinned between it and another log. Employee #1 was hospitalized with fractures and lacerations to both legs.

Incident on Oct 11, 2002: Employee injured when struck by logging shiv

On October 11, 2002, Employee #1 and a coworker were setting up a cable logging machine and delimber. A shiv that supported a guy line had slid to the back of t he guy line and stuck. The back of the boom and guy line was elevated to a 30-de gree angle and the shiv remained stuck. Employee #1 did not realize the shiv was stuck above the area where he needed to work. As Employee #1 was trying to line up the bolt holes, he had the operator move the boom. The boom movement dislodg ed the shiv, which slid down the guy line and struck Employee #1 on the back of his head. Employee #1 fell from the machine to the ground below, approximately a 5-foot fall. Employee #1 was treated by medical personnel and transported to a local hospital where he was admitted overnight for medical treatment.

Incident on Oct 4, 2002 (fatal): Employee killed in logging accident

At approximately 8:25 a.m. on October 4, 2002, Employee #1, a rigging slinger, w as logging an area of second growth tree length timber with several coworkers. T hey were operating a Thunderbird Swing Yarder (Model Number: 6255), running a sk yline system with a mechanical slack pulling carriage, set up to turn five logs in four chokes. The turn portion of the yarder was connected to the landing, rig ged to a ridge with a rock bluff below. Visibility was low due to foggy conditio ns. After rigging the equipment, Employee #1 and his coworkers retreated to open ground, approximately 50-feet to 80-feet from the rig. A malfunction occurred w hen the turn reached the rock bluff, causing two chokes to break, releasing thre e tree length logs downhill. The first and second logs came down almost simultan eously, one approximately 100-feet to the left of the clearing where they were s tanding and the other somewhere in the nearby skyline. As Employee #1 and his co workers stepped out of the safe area to assess the situation, the third log came down striking Employee #1. Emergency services responded promptly, revealing tha t Employee #1 had died due to his injuries.

Incident on Sep 17, 2001 (fatal): Employee killed when struck by haul-back line

Employee #1 was a "fire watch" for the logging activity during extreme fire dang er season. The logging crew was bringing the skyline to the tail hold, using the haul-back line. Employee #1 and the logging hook-tender were standing behind th e corner block as the haul-back line was in motion. The connection between the h aul-back and skyline came apart. The weight of the haul-back line, which had bee n suspended several hundred feet in the air, pulled the end of the haul-back lin e through the tail hold (corner blocks). As the end of the haul-back line came t o the first corner block the line whipped behind the block and struck Employee # 1 on the right side of the face and neck. Employee #1 was pronounced dead at the scene.

Incident on Aug 21, 2000 (fatal): Employee killed when struck by log rolling down hill

Employee #1 was approaching a log from the down hill side, preparing to set a ch oker. Employee #1's activity dislodged the log from its resting location, causin g it to roll down the hill. Employee #1 was in the path of the log and could not escape. Employee #1 was struck and pinned by the moving log, causing fatal crus hing injuries.

Incident on Dec 7, 1993 (fatal): Employee killed in tractor trailer accident

At about 12:35 p.m. on December 7, 1993, near Myrtle Creek, Oregon, a tractor tr ailer accident occurred. Employee #1, the truck driver, left the landing with a dump trailer load of Madrone logs. About a 1/2 mile from the landing, he attempt ed to negotiate a left hand curve. The left rear dual trailer tires went off the gravel road edge, which had approximately a 60 percent slope. As the trailer be gan to roll over, it dumped logs and lifted the tractor. The tractor jackknifed to the left and traveled downhill with the trailer. When the tractor came to an abrupt stop, the hood flew up, and Employee #1 went through the windshield and l anded on top of the motor. The trailer broke off at the fifth wheel and crashed into the back of the cab, crushing the cab onto Employee #1's feet. He was kille d instantly.

Incident on Nov 3, 1993 (fatal): Employee dies when struck by yarder cab lid

At about 12:40 p.m. on November 3, 1993, at Township 26 South Range 12 West Sect ion near Coos Bay, OR, Employee #1, a Washington 188 swing yarder operator, was killed. He was sitting backward in the yarder's seat in order to operate the out rigger controls that are located behind the seat. The haulback control was someh ow bumped into operating position. The haulback pulled the opened cab lid over o nto the employee's head, pinning him between the cab and the yarder. Employee #1 died from the impact.

Incident on May 11, 1990 (fatal): Employee killed when run over by tractor

At approximately 9:20 a.m. on May 11, 1990, Employee #1 dismounted an HD 6 Cater pillar tractor to set a choker on a log. According to coworkers, Employee #1 had set the foot brake and lowered the tractor's blade to the ground. A coworker wh o was helping to set the choker noticed that the tractor was moving and warned E mployee #1 to get clear. Employee #1 ran after the tractor, jumped on the left t rack, and grabbed for the upright rollover protection bar, but he then slipped a nd fell. He was pulled beneath the moving tractor and was crushed and killed. Th e ground slope ranged from 35 to 55 percent.