Logging company faces fines for violations
A logging company that operates a facility in Elkview has been fined $42,000 for exposing its employees to the possibility of "severe lacerations and amputations hazards."
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration, or OSHA, announced Monday that it had fined Ross Logging, which is based in Seth, after finding two willful and another eight serious workplace violations.
According to the news release, "determined that employees were operating chainsaws without cut-resistant boots or socks and were drop starting the chainsaws while felling trees," and that "the employer failed to provide first-aid kits at the worksite."
The federal agency emphasized the threat the violations presented, and pointed out that seven employees working in the logging industry have died as a result of their work since the beginning of 2013.
"A serious incident can happen in an instant. This is why it's vital that employers take all of the necessary steps to protect their workers," said Prentice Cline, OSHA's area director in Charleston.