Lumber Manufacturer Fined After Worker Killed by Forklift

A Georgia lumber company faces more than $50,000 in penalties following a deadly accident in its shipping yard late last year.

Cassandra Hill, 45, was killed after she was run over by a forklift in Sunbelt Forest Products’ Athens lumber yard last November.

Federal officials said an investigation showed that Sunbelt had ignored a series of safety regulations.

The company did not require forklift drivers to maintain clear views and permitted workers to walk where drivers could not see them.

Sunbelt also failed to mark pathways for trucks and pedestrians, and did not remove damaged forklifts from service.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration proposed $53,866 in penalties.

The company had 15 business days to either comply with the investigation, contest the findings or request a conference with OSHA officials.