Inspection Detail

Inspection: 300483534 - Wolf River Lumber Inc

Inspection Information - Office: Appleton Area Office

Investigation Summary

At approximately 4:22 p.m. on January 12, 1999, Employees #1 and #2 and a coworker were clearing out bundles of lumber that had tipped over in a kiln while drying and fallen against the sliding, garage-type door. The lumber stacks were over 16 ft tall and consisted of four 8 ft long by 4 ft wide by 4 ft tall bundles of hickory, with 4 by 4 spacers placed between bundles. The stacks, when loaded, had a board under the side closest to the door to lean them slightly away from it. The kiln had been filled over the weekend and the drying process was started up that morning. The material was frozen and some snow and ice was present when the bundles were stacked. As the lumber dried. it shrank and at first would lean on the side facing the door and toward the opposite side of the kiln building. This was a natural occurrence due to the air flow in the kiln. When the lumber reached the proper drying specifications, the piles were normally close to vertical. When the first stack fell over, it became wedged against the door and the employees had to enter the kiln to push out the lumber. They had just completed moving the lumber when the second stack fell on top of them. Employee #1 was killed. Employee #2 suffered severe injuries and was hospitalized in critical condition.

Keywords: KILN, UNSECURED, WORK RULES, STRUCK BY, FALLING OBJECT, LUMBER STACK, UNSTABLE POSITION