The Washington State Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) cited and fined CommCaseworks Inc. $187,000 in August after inspectors found the company had not fixed the same safety problems that resulted in similar citations in 2019.

CommCaseworks manufactures custom commercial cabinetry and solid surfaces for offices, retail, and restaurants using a variety of materials.

Workplace hazards abound
Last February during an inspection of the shop, workers told L&I inspectors they used three different table saws with missing guards. They also performed maintenance on machines without making sure the equipment could not accidentally turn on. Workers could be seriously injured or killed if machinery unexpectedly or accidentally gets power and starts up because the power source isn’t shut off or disconnected—a fundamental and widely understood safety principle known as “lockout/tagout.”

Inspectors also found workers had been spraying a flammable glue just feet away from electrical ignition sources. There were no controls in place for keeping workers safe from chemicals in the glue that are known to cause cancer.

The inspection found the owner did not fix the hazards found in the previous inspection. As a result, L&I placed red tags on the equipment, issued an order of immediate restraint (OIR) shutting down work at the site for as long as the problems are present, and when the company initially disregarded the order, obtained a court order to stop the spraying of dangerous chemicals.

“The owner refused to put safety guards on the table saws—even after instructed to install them by inspectors. Companies cannot disregard standards or red tags that are there to keep workers safe,” said Cari Anderson, deputy assistant director for L&I’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health.

As the company came into compliance over the course of four follow-up visits after the initial inspection, the orders and red tags were removed.

Willful Serious Violations
CommCaseworks was cited for 11 willful serious, one willful general, three serious, and seven general violations. The company was fined $67,572 for violating safety rules including workers using unguarded table saws and red-tagged equipment, not using energy control procedures, and lack of training.

Additionally, CommCaseworks was fined $119,524 for violations related to spray finishing operations including lack of mechanical ventilation, no emergency eyewash stations, not using eye protection, and violating an OIR twice.  

The company is appealing both citations.