Hazardous Cabinet Shop Hit with Red Tags: Safety Violations Lead to Stop Work Order

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Unguarded saw blades, flammable glue, and dangerous machinery were among the safety hazards that earned a Ridgefield cabinet company $187,000 in fines, the Washington Department of Labor and Industries reports.

L&I inspectors fined CommCaseworks Inc. the six-figure sum in August after finding it had not fixed safety problems dating back to 2019. These included three unguarded table saws, flammable glue feet away from electrical ignition sources, and cancerous chemical agents, according to the L&I report.

Workers at ComseCaseworks also repaired machines without ensuring the equipment could not turn on or the lockout/tagout principle, L&I inspectors found.

L&I issued an ordered the worksite shut down for as long as the problems persisted and obtained a court order to stop the company from spraying dangerous chemicals, the department reports further.

“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.

CommCaseworks was also cited for 22 different safety violations, which included the absence of emergency eyewash stations, ventilation, and eye protection at the worksite, L&I reports.

The company has since complied with the order, L&I reports, and is appealing the citations, according to the department.