Sawmill Worker's Fingertip Loss Leads to Fines

The Washington Department of Labor & Industries levied fines totaling $153,000 against a sawmill operator with a history of safety violations after a worker lost a fingertip in a machine mishap. L&I inspectors cited 12 dangerous practices at RSG Forest Products Inc.'s Kalama mill, some of which concerned the machine that the worker was using at the time of the accident. His hand was injured by a lumber conveyor system last fall, L&I said, leading to a surgical amputation. Inspectors observed that the conveyor system's safety guard was inadequate. L&I said its officia...