Rex Lumber, LLC: OSHA inspections and violations

Incident on Sep 3, 2010 (fatal): Employee is crushed by conveyor gate

On September 3, 2010, Employee #1, a welder, was welding on the DDM log selector gate at the Rex Lumber sawmill. This gate was part of a conveyor system for log s. When the logs approached the gate on the conveyor system, the gate pneumatica lly closed if the log was large enough to trigger the gate. The large log was th en conveyed to another part of the conveyor system behind the gate. If a log was not large enough to trigger the gate, the gate remained open, and the smaller l og was dropped through the gate to be conveyed to another part of the conveyor s ystem. Portions of this gate had become damaged and needed to be repaired. The D DM Wave Feeder and the Reception Belt conveyor system were deenergized and locke d out. The DDM Edger Chipper Multifunction line operators control panel was bein g used to maintain the log selector gate in an open position. The Log Selection Gate control switch was placed in the "AUTO" position on the control booth conso le. This provided a compressed air energy source which was holding the Log Selec tor Gate OPEN while Employee #1 was welding on the trough of the machine where t he logs drop down onto the reception belt. There were two safety chains attached to the side of the machine. These chains were used to hold the gate open in cas e the facility lost electrical power, which would cause the Log Selector Gate to lose compressed air and the gate would close. A coworker entered the DDM operat ors control booth to turn off some Log Accumulation Deck chain conveyors which w ere left running by the day shift. When the coworker turned the Log Accumulation deck chains control switch to the OFF position, the Log Selector Gate closed im mediately, crushing Employee #1. The coworker was not aware the Log Accumulation Deck chains were interconnected to the Log Selector Gate machine. Employee #1 s ustained blunt force injuries to the chest and abdomen, and died on the site.