$2.5 million in fines proposed for Alabama sawmill after investigation into worker’s death

Kelby Hutchison
·2 min read
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A federal investigation into an August 2023 death at a Phenix City sawmill has revealed the employer could have prevented a tragedy by following required safety rules, according to the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).

The news release stated OSHA found that a 67-year-old sawmill supervisor at MDLG Inc., operating as Phenix Lumber Co., had climbed on top of an auger to access a difficult-to-reach area to unclog a woodchipper.

The release said the machine started while the employee was on top of the Auger because of multiple failures by the employer to protect him.

Original reporting by the Ledger-Enquirer shows that James Streetman, 67, died after becoming stuck in a piece of equipment on Aug. 23, 2023.

“Phenix Lumber’s willful disregard for the well-being of their employees leaves another family to grieve the loss of their loved one. This must stop,” said OSHA Regional Administrator Kurt Petermeyer in a statement.

“This worksite has become all too familiar to OSHA,” said Petermeyer. “Phenix and its owners have a legal responsibility to follow federal safety laws that are meant to prevent the exact hazards that cost this employee’s life.”

OSHA cited Phenix Lumber Co. and its owners (John Menza Dudley Jr. and Leslie Elizabeth Dudley) with 22 willful violations, one repeat violation and five serious violations, according to the release.

OSHA said these violations total up to $2,471,683 in proposed penalties.

Phenix Lumber Co. had been inspected four times in the past five years prior to these citations, according to the release.

A fatality inspection in 2020 resulted in the agency citing the company with four willful and 10 serious violations, according to OSHA.

In May 2020 Brandon Lee Vandyke, 34, died after getting caught in a wood chipper machine, according to Ledger-Enquirer reporting.

The release said OSHA added the employer to the agency’s Severe Violators Enforcement Program in 2020, a program for employers who endanger workers by committing willful, repeat or failure-to-abate violations that could lead to fatalities or catastrophic injuries.

Phenix Lumber Co. has 15 business days from receipt of the citations and proposed penalties to comply, request a conference with OSHA’s area director or contest the findings before the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission, according to the release.