Sawmill fined in former Orofino
man’s death
The Yakama Nation’s sawmill,
located in White Swan, WA, has been hit with $59,850 in fines following a
federal probe into the death of a Fort Simcoe Job Corps student that turned up
several safety violations. The Job Corps student, Tyler Challinor, 20, was
formerly of Orofino. Challinor’s family currently lives in Orofino.
Challinor was crushed at the
sawmill Jan. 7 while working on a tractor. Its raised large bucket fell on top
of him. Following the accident the federal Occupational Safety and Health
Administration conducted an investigation into Yakama Forest Products. The
investigation concluded that safety equipment wasn’t used and safety procedures
were lacking, according to the citations. Violations ranged from lack of fire
extinguishers to unlabeled fuel tanks, lack of safety rails along conveyers
transporting logs and the absence of a safety guard on one large saw blade.
According to Yakama Tribal
Council Chairman, Harry Smiskin, the tribe plans to contest the findings. The
tribe in its own court has filed a lawsuit against Challinor’s family and its
own insurance company, seeking that Challinor’s estate only receives $2,000
offered under its worker compensation benefits and that its insurance company
reimburses the tribe for attorney fees and any additional costs.
Brian Smith, a