PLUM CREEK DBA NORTHWEST LUMBER, INC.

According to U.S. Department of Labor enforcement records, PLUM CREEK DBA NORTHWEST LUMBER, INC. — a industry sector 00 facility located at 500 12TH AVE. WEST, COLUMBIA FALLS, MT 59912 — was the subject of a formal OSHA inspection that resulted in 26 citation(s) and cumulative proposed penalties of $21,425.00. The inspection case was opened on 2002-08-06.

The volume of citations issued during this inspection suggests systematic compliance deficiencies rather than isolated incidents. Facilities with 10 or more citations typically face comprehensive abatement requirements and may be subject to follow-up inspections.

State Context: Within MT, this facility's penalty places it at the 99th percentile among 9,480 inspected facilities. The statewide average penalty is $2,110.71.

Citation Analysis: The inspection produced 26 citations spanning 6 distinct OSHA regulatory standards. The citation breakdown includes: 12 serious — A workplace hazard that could cause death or serious physical harm exists, and the employer knew or should have known about the condition. 3 other-than-serious — The violation has a direct relationship to job safety and health but is unlikely to cause death or serious physical harm.

Enforcement Timeline: Citations were issued beginning April 11, 2001 with the latest abatement deadline set for August 26, 2001. Of the 26 total citations, 7 (27%) have been marked as abated in DOL records, which may indicate ongoing compliance gaps requiring further regulatory attention.

Penalty Assessment: The cumulative penalty of $21,425.00 reflects OSHA's gravity-based penalty calculation methodology, which considers the severity of potential injury, the probability of occurrence, the employer's size, good faith, and violation history. The per-citation average of $824.04 falls within the standard penalty range.

The inspection of Plum Creek’s Columbia Falls sawmill revealed a pervasive breakdown in fundamental safety management systems, characterized