Scotia Power Plant. | File photo by Andrew Goff.


PREVIOUSLY

Nine months after a man employed by the Humboldt Sawmill Company was set afire at their Scotia power plant in March, the company has been fined $37,000 by California’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA). 

The worker, around 40 years of age, suffered second-degree burns when the company’s wood-fired energy facility flared up. The flames enveloped him for 20 seconds until he jumped from a 10-foot balcony to escape. He landed on his hand and was in “excruciating pain,” according to the caller that made the original 911 call in March. The heat was brutal enough to melt the beard off of his face. 

The fireball was caused by hot ash falling out of a hopper that had had its motor removed. 

Cal/OSHA originally fined Humboldt Sawmill $68,650 in September, but the penalty was reduced on appeal, handed down by their appeals board on Monday. The settlement fines were eliminated for insufficiently reviewing their Emergency Action Plans with their employees and failing to find the hazardous conditions. Fines were reduced for poorly implementing injury training, improper use of Personal Protective Equipment, and failing to prevent the explosion.

Reached today, the Humboldt Sawmill Company is working on a comment. We’ll include it when received.