NNONTANA NtrWS

By R. Y. PEIERSE]I erecutive secretary

fF YOU are one of those dealers who t works on the "mafrana" princiPle, tomorrow could well bring a rude awakening: an OSHA inspection, a citation and a penalty in that quickordet succession. All could result frorn failure to put your house in order and bring the premises into compliance with requirements of the Occupational Safety and Health Act.

Repofts of OHSA compliance inspections in the retail lumber field in this area have been Iimited or slow to reach us. That is not to say any dealer is immune to possible inspection. Should your operation be the target of OSHA for tomorrow, you and an employee-authorized representative would be asked to accompany the inspector.

First questions would be general about the operation-number of employees, shifts, injuries, etc, Display of the employee notification poster would be checked. During inspection, the oftcer would be noting such things as housekeeping; handrails at stairways; guarding and grounding of

A letter from Bob Linville, WBMA's Boise, Idaho, district director, advises that a building material dealer in his area is being sued by a customer "who purchased hardened concrete nails from his store without being warned in any respect of the hazards of the use of said nails and while using said nails, an injury resulted and is almost totally blind in one eye.t' portable and hand-powered tools and equipment; railings and toeboards on catwalks, guards on floor openings, balcony storage areas, unloading docks and platforms, hatchway and chute openings.

WBMA is mighty pleased to welcome these new members! A-R Lumber Sales, Eugene, Ore.; Ashlan Glass & Millwork, Inc., Ashland, Ore.; Boysen Paint Co., Portland; Browae Lumber Supply, Friday Harbor, Wash.; Coos Head Builders Supply, North Bend, Ore.; Economy Plywood & Building Supply, Medford, Ore.; Hillside Cedar Supply, Inc., Puyallup, Wash.; Modernfold Northwest, Inc., Portland; Northwest Moulding, fnc., Lebanon, Ore.; Riverside Millwork & Building Supply, Mount Veirron, Wash.; Stanton-Cudahy Lumber Company, Portland; Stones, Inc., Nampa, Idaho; H. Parsons Timber & Joinery, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.

He would check for employees wearing safety goggles where danger exists, and for hardhats and hardtoe shoes where hazards warrant them; for proper guarding of machines, pulleys and belts, and ventilating fans. But beyond these areas of common hazard,, he would check the entire premises for possible violations. Should the inspector find alleged violations, he would discuss these with his superior for possible citations which would describe the nature of the violations. Once a violation has been cited it is too late to "lock the barn door," by complying with the regulations, to prevent penalties. Compliance is a requisite of the act.