A Weyerhaeuser sawmill facility in Craven County received a $48,393 fine from the N.C. Department of Labor related to a March 17 workplace fatality. The Labor Department cited Weyerhaeuser with three “serious violations” after an investigation of the fatality at the facility in Vanceboro.
“The penalties are in no way designed to make up for the loss of life,” according to a statement from the Department of Labor.
Weyerhaeuser announced in July it would close the mill on Monday, Sept. 16, resulting in the loss of approximately 75 jobs. In July, Weyerhaeuser released in a statement it had decided to close the mill after an analysis of its “long-term viability and competitiveness” and “challenging market conditions.”
On March 17, Robert Christopher Wood, 37, was servicing the hydraulic system of a Taylor forklift under the raised carriage/forks. A sudden loss of hydraulic pressure caused the carriage/forks to fall onto Wood, which resulted in his death, according to company officials. His obituary states he had lived his entire life in the Craven County town of Cove City. He was an avid outdoor enthusiast who was known for his kind heart and mechanical inclinations, according to his obituary.
By law, civil money penalties collected by the N.C. Department of Labor are distributed to the public school system.
Weyerhaeuser has 15 working days from receipt of the citations to request an informal conference with the Labor Department, to file a notice of contest with the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission of North Carolina (an independent board appointed by the governor to hear appeals of OSH citations), or to pay the penalty.
Company officials released this statement about the fine:
In March, the company released the following statement about Wood’s death: “We are deeply saddened to share that one of our team members died on Sunday from injuries sustained while working at our lumber mill in New Bern, N.C. An investigation is underway, and we cannot share any further details at this time. This is a tragic situation for the employee’s family and our community, and our thoughts are with this individual’s family and friends and everyone at our mill.”
Based in Seattle, Weyerhaeuser is one of the world’s largest private owners of timberlands, began operations in 1900 and today owns or controls about 10.5 million acres of timberlands in the U.S., as well as 14 million acres of timberlands managed under long-term licenses in Canada. In 2023, the company generated $7.7 billion in net sales and employed approximately 9,300 people who serve customers worldwide.
Weyerhaeuser has at least four other operations in North Carolina, including a distribution center in Charlotte, according to its website. Vanceboro is about 25 miles southeast of Greenville, toward New Bern.
In 2022, the forest sector in North Carolina had a total economic size of greater than $42.5 billion, predominantly in rural counties. Compared to 2021, the North Carolina forest sector realized a gain of $7.3 billion in 2022 in total economic activities across the state.
In 2022, the forest sector directly employed about 73,646 people with a payroll of $4.9 billion and a value-added (gross state product) of $7.5 billion. In 2022, the forest sector was the top manufacturing sector in the state, supporting over 2,700 more jobs than the food manufacturing sector in North Carolina, according to a report by N.C. State University.