WHITE SWAN, Wash. (AP) – The federal government has fined the Yakama Nation sawmill $59,850 following the Jan. 7 death of a Fort Simcoe Job Corps student.
The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration investigated safety conditions at Yakama Forest Products after 20-year-old Tyler Challinor was crushed while working on a tractor.
The investigation concluded that a locking safety bar designed to keep a large bucket from falling when in an upright position wasn't used. Other violations included a lack of fire extinguishers, unlabeled fuel tanks and a lack of safety rains along conveyers.
The findings were released Wednesday. Yakama Tribal Council Chairman Harry Smiskin says the tribe plans to contest the findings.