Inspection Detail

Inspection: 105750632 - Curtis Russell Lumber Co.

Inspection Information - Office: Va-E-Abingdon (Field Office) - Safety 0355110

Investigation Summary

At 10:30 p.m. on May 31, 1991, Employee #1 was working as a lumber stacker on the green chain for Curtis Russell Lumber Company. Employee #1 was stacking lumber on the right side of the green chain, which moved sawed lumber from the double end trim saw on the second floor of the mill. A lumber grader working nearby saw Employee #1 working, but when he looked up from grading a board, Employee #1 had disappeared. The lumber grader found Employee #1 lying on his back. None of the seven workers in the area saw Employee #1 fall or get hit. The hospital examination revealed severe skull fractures to the front-right area of the skull. Employee #1 died of his injuries. Investigation revealed that the double-end trimmer saw frequently threw scraps of wood into the area where Employee #1 had been working. Doctors stated that the employee's injury could not have been caused by a fall. The conclusion was that the employee had been hit by an ejected piece of wood.

Keywords: FRACTURE, HEAD, WORK RULES, SKULL, STRUCK BY, FLYING OBJECT