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Region 8 News Release:   21-OSHA
04-03-2000
Contact: Rich Kulczewski
PHONE: (303) 844-1302

Louisiana Pacific Corporation, Olathe, Colo., was cited last week for one willful and five serious violations of the Occupational Safety and Health Act and issued proposed penalties of $95,000.

The citations were issued March 29 by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's Englewood area office following an inspection of Louisiana Pacific's Oriented Strand Board (OSB) plant which began Oct. 4, 1999. The inspection was initiated following an explosion and fire at the facility where one worker was killed as a result of the blast.

John Healy, OSHA area director in Englewood, said the company was aware of the fire and explosion hazards associated with wood dust and process residue yet failed to implement an adequate program to address these hazards.

Healy can be reached at (303) 843-4500.

The OSHA inspection cited Louisiana Pacific for:

• Failure to prevent hazardous amounts of wood dust and process residue from accumulating throughout the production area and ventilation ducts.

• One Willful violation $70,000

• Failure to control hot oil leaks on the OSB press.

• Serious violation $5,000

• Allowing the OSB press to overheat while the process was shut down.

• Serious violation $5,000

• Failure to establish an adequate written standard operating policy for a fire brigade.

• Serious violation $5,000

• Failure to provide adequate training and education to fire brigade leaders and members and failure to address the explosion hazard of wood dust as it relates to fire fighting.

• Serious violation $5,000

• Failure to provide proper respiratory protection to fire brigade members.

• Serious violation $5,000

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• Total Penalty $95,000

A willful violation is one committed with an intentional disregard of, or plain indifference to, the requirements of the OSHA Act and its regulations.

A serious violation is defined as one committed where there is substantial probability that death or physical harm could result and the employer knew or should have known of the hazard.

Louisiana Pacific has 15 working days from receipt of the citations to request an informal conference with the OSHA area director, or to contest the citations and proposed penalties before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.