Maine lumber company fined after employee hurt in fall

By Amber Stone
The Maine Monitor
January 6, 2024
Category: Health & Safety
Region: United States, US East

Stratton Lumber, a family-owned business in the northern Franklin County town of Stratton, was fined just over $71,000 by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration after an employee working in the chipper room fell 13 feet and was hospitalized in June. OSHA fined Stratton Lumber $67,000 in October for a lack of guardrail, safety net or personal fall stoppage system; not posting appropriate notifications for the hazardous area; and not ensuring that all employees received fall hazard training. OSHA penalized Stratton Lumber an additional $4,269 for not ensuring all work areas and equipment were kept clean and free of wood dust. In all, OSHA found five violations. The agency initially proposed a fine of $142,739, its records show. The amount was lowered after a settlement conference.

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