Wood Plant ComDust Investigations

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From Woodworkingnetwork.com

"Combustible sawdust turned up in unacceptable levels in 48 of 83 wood and forest products plants inspected..."


 Plywood, Wood Plant ComDust Investigations Top Week's Reports


Combustible sawdust turned up in unacceptable levels in 48 of 83 wood and forest products plants inspected in British Columbia this summer, says the Vancouver Sun newspapers.

While the government agency WorkSafeBC had been inspecting sawmills and later plywood, pulp and secondary wood products firms, the newspaper's freedom of information request  named names and forced more public disclosure by the agency.

Plywood firms (West Fraser and Tolko are just two examples) were ordered to clean up; as well as secondary wood products manufacturers (some examples are C&C Wood, Teal Cedar, and Northern Engineered Wood Products). A complete list is at this link.

Combustible dust explosions racked two British Columbia sawmills earlier this year, killing four and injuring 52 others. This week the government said it would fine the Babine Sawmill - owned by Portland, OR-based Hampton Affiliates, and Lakeland Mills $625,000 each. Attorneys may bring charges against management with possible jail terms of 6 months.

Babine owners Hampton Affiliates announced December 4 it would rebuild and reopen the mill by 2014, regardless of the legal outcomes. Steve Zika, Hampton’s CEO says the new plant will be one-third smaller owing to less low ability will have the ability to cut metric and ALS dimension lumber for a variety of markets.


Here are the top wood industry reports from the week>>
Combustible Dust ComDust: What Woodworkers Need to Know
By Jamison Scott | Updated: 11/28/2012 1:22:00 PM
With the increase of combustible dust incidents, OSHA is visiting woodworking facilities with greater frequency, says Air Handling Systems Jamison Scott. Read more

Lakeland Mills Explosion Fines, Possible Jail Time in BC ComDust Explosions
By Karen Koenig | Updated: 12/04/2012 1:39:00 PM
Babine Forest Products and Lakeland Mills could each face fines of  $652,000 if found guilty of violating the Workers Compensation Act. Combustible dust explosions racked the sawmills earlier this year, killing four, injuring 52. Read more

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