Class Code 2731
Planing Or Moulding Mills
Class code 2731 covers businesses whose primary operation is planing or moulding wood stock in mills and similar facilities. The approved California pure premium rate is $6.675 per $100 of payroll, which is the baseline used to calculate workers' compensation premium before experience and other adjustments. Understanding the exact tasks, risks, and compliance obligations for planing and moulding work helps employers control exposures and premium costs.
What Class Code 2731 Covers
This classification applies to operations where raw lumber or wood stock is processed through planers, moulders, jointers and similar powered woodworking machines to produce finished boards, trim, moulding and profile stock. It includes continuous production lines in planing or moulding mills, specialized cutting and profiling centers, and shop floors where the primary work is shaping and surfacing wood with powered equipment. Incidental activities tied to the production process—material handling of stock, saw cutting feeding into planers, and basic finishing operations directly associated with the planing/moulding flow—are normally included. It does not generally cover retail lumberyards, installation-only carpentry, or shops whose main function is assembly or finishing unless planing/moulding is the principal operation.
Who It Applies To
- Planer and moulder machine operators in commercial mills
- Production line workers at planing/moulding facilities
- Maintenance mechanics servicing planers, moulders and dust systems
- Lead hands and production supervisors in woodworking mills
- Material handlers and forklift operators moving raw and finished stock
Common Job Duties
- Setting up and feeding boards into planers, moulders and profiling heads
- Aligning cutters, adjusting feeds, and measuring profiles for quality
- Changing and sharpening knives, blades and cutter heads
- Monitoring automated lines and removing defects or jams
- Operating and maintaining dust collection and ventilation systems
- Performing preventive maintenance, lubrication and machine cleaning
- Loading/unloading lumber and staging finished moulding for packaging
Common Injury Risks
Understanding the $6.675 Rate
The pure premium rate of $6.675 per $100 of payroll represents the insurer's estimated cost of future claims for workers in this class, expressed per $100 of employer payroll. To calculate the base premium, multiply payroll for employees assigned to class 2731 by 0.06675; that base is then adjusted by your experience modification, policy discounts, deductible programs and state assessments to produce the final premium. Factors that change the actual premium include your loss history, payroll mix across other class codes, safety controls (dust collection, guarding), and whether you qualify for schedule rating credits or retrospective programs.
Cal/OSHA Compliance Requirements
Employers must follow Cal/OSHA requirements that apply to powered woodworking equipment: effective machine guarding to prevent contact with moving parts, lockout/tagout procedures for servicing, and written respiratory protection when wood-dust exposures exceed action levels. Additional required programs include hearing conservation where noise exceeds limits, hazard communication for any finishing chemicals, routine maintenance and inspection of dust collection systems to prevent combustible-dust buildup, and training on safe machine setup and blade/cutter changes. Proper recordkeeping of training, exposure monitoring and preventive maintenance is important for compliance and defending claims.
How Key HR Helps Employers Under Class Code 2731
A PEO like Key HR helps mills reduce workers' comp costs by ensuring correct classification and payroll allocation, implementing targeted loss-control programs (machine guarding audits, dust-collection optimization, hearing and respiratory programs), and providing claims management and return-to-work coordination to shorten claim durations. Key HR can also supply safety resources, on-site or virtual training, and group purchasing for PPE and dust-control equipment to lower frequency and severity of losses.
Get a QuoteFrequently Asked Questions
Does class code 2731 apply to small cabinet shops or custom millwork shops?
It depends on the primary operation. If the shop's main activity is planing or moulding stock with powered planers and moulders, 2731 is appropriate. If the business primarily assembles cabinets, installs millwork, or focuses on finishing with only incidental planing, a different class may apply. A payroll and operations review will determine the correct classification.
What practical steps lower workers' comp costs for planing and moulding operations?
Invest in proper machine guarding, automated feeding where practical, effective central dust collection and housekeeping to reduce slips and combustible-dust risk, enforce hearing and respiratory protection programs, and maintain a return-to-work program to transition injured workers back to light duty. These controls reduce claim frequency and severity and improve your experience modification.
What Cal/OSHA training and monitoring should I prioritize?
Prioritize training on safe machine operation, blade/cutter change procedures and lockout/tagout, respiratory protection and dust exposure awareness, and hearing conservation. Conduct periodic exposure monitoring for dust and noise, maintain dust-collection inspections, and document all training and maintenance to demonstrate compliance.
Quick Facts
- Class Code
- 2731
- Classification
- Planing Or Moulding Mills
- Pure Premium Rate
- $6.675 / $100 payroll
- Effective Date
- September 1, 2026
- Source
- WCIRB Approved Filing
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