Troy sawmill owner faces federal fine in worker’s death

The owner of a sawmill in Troy has been fined $184,385 after federal investigators said it failed to follow safety standards which led to a worker’s death.

As Action 8 News has reported, 20-year-old Evan Kilpatrick was killed in an accident at Rex Lumber on County Road 7714 in December 2022. Troy police say he had been working on a piece of machinery.

Today, the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) said Kilpatrick had been part of a six-member crew trying to clear a jammed roller when he was crushed when an infeed unit closed on him.

OSHA says this accident was the third time since 2020 that a Rex Lumber facility failed to follow federal workplace safety standards. The company has seven locations across the country with about 360 workers, according to OSHA.

OSHA says that since 2013, it has cited Rex Lumber for 19 violations overall.

OSHA is giving Rex Lumber 15 business days to respond.