Washington paper mill fined nearly $650,000 for machine operator’s death

The Washington State Department of Labor and Industries has cited and fined a Camas plant operator following an investigation into the death of a worker who was crushed by a packaging machine that did not have protective devices.

Also, the company, Georgia Pacific, did not follow basic procedures to ensure that the machines do not start accidentally.

L&I cited and fined the company $648,292 for fundamental safety violations that directly contributed to the worker’s death, along with other safety issues identified at the site.

On March 8, a 32-year-old Georgia Pacific machine operator called four times in an hour for help troubleshooting a large piece of equipment for stacking boxes in preparation for shipment.

Before anyone could help him, nearby co-workers noticed boxes backing up on the conveyor belt and went to investigate, only to find the man crushed between the large metal arms that help feed the boxes through the machine and conveyor belt.

Management and workers told inspectors that permanent machine guards that attached directly to the equipment were removed in 2017. They were replaced by a fence built around the machine that did not prevent physical access to parts of the machine that could cause serious injury or death.

Apparently, Georgia Pacific’s own analysis showed that they needed doors to protect this car that would not unlock unless power to the car was turned off. Construction to install the doors was not completed until after the machine operator was killed on the job.

Georgia Pacific was also cited for failing to follow rules that protect employees working alone in an isolated area. Safety rules require pulp and paper mills to periodically check in with these workers. Employees at the plant reportedly told inspectors they were aware of a policy requiring a supervisor to check on employees working alone every two hours, but said it had not been enforced for years.

The company is appealing the L&I decision.

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