5153 Grain and Field Beans Listed below are the standards which were cited by Federal OSHA for the specified SIC during the period October 2008 through September 2009. Penalties shown reflect current rather than initial amounts.
Employee #1 and two coworkers were cleaning the rail load-out area of a soybean processing facility during a plant shutdown. The load-out area had a conveyor system running above the rail cars, and the crew was working on a guarded catwalk on the west side of the conveyor. Employee #1 was using a compressed air hose and crossed over the conveyor at a walk-over platform to begin working from the east side of the catwalk, which had an open end. He was moving along the walkway when he fell 26 ft to the ground and was killed. The east catwalk had been moved during the installation of a new conveyor system approximately 2.5 months before the accident. The unguarded side had previously been protected by equipment and building structures. Xpsx On March 2, 2002, Employee #1 was vacuuming and cleaning the flour silo deadheads. Employee #1 was on the top level of the flour silo, standing on a metal catwalk with guardrails. The top guardrail was 48-inches from the catwalk base, the midrail was 24-inches from the base. The distance from the top guardrail to the ground was approximately 55-feet. No equipment was involved. Employee #1 suffered a broken hip and several broken or ruptured vertebra discs in the fall and was hospitalized. Xpsx
At approximately 10:00 p.m. on May 22, 2003, Employee #1 was attempting to load feed into a trailer while standing on a catwalk at the top of the trailer. As Employee #1 opened the bin covers for loading, he lost his balance, and fell approximately 12 feet to a concrete floor. Employee #1 was hospitalized and treated for a severe skull fracture. He died four days later due to medical complications.
February 2007, Employee #1 was on an approximately 9-ft high grain elevator platform, loading a grain truck. Employee #1 fell over the standard guardrail to the concrete surface below and was killed. The autopsy determined that Employee #1's death was from heart disease and a heart attack (primarily) and lung carcinoma ( secondary), which caused the employee to topple over or under the side of the platform which had a standard railing. February 2006, Employee #1 was attempting to board a rolling grain rail car. He missed the ladder rung or lost his footing and fell. His right foot was rolled over by the rail car, and he suffered an amputation of all toes and instep portion of his right foot. Employee #1 was hospitalized. On April 8, 2004, Employee #1 was moving a railcar that had been loaded with grain. The employee had pushed the railcar with a Wrangler front end loader onto the elevator's rail spur. He was to move it to a predetermined location on the spur so that other railcars could be loaded. As the railcar moved slowly down the tracks, the employee attempted to climb on the moving railcar so that he could access the railcar brake located on the front of it. The employee tried to use the coupler handle extension to climb on the railcar when he slipped and his right foot was pulled under the railcar wheel. Employee #1's lower right leg was amputated, and he was hospitalized. Xpsx Employee #1 was using a nylon tow rope to pull three rail cars that were attached to the back of a Fiat Allis 745C payloader. He fell on the track between the first and second rail cars and was run over and killed by the back two cars. Employee #1's body was found severed at the waist. He had been working alone at the time of the accident. Xpsx
October 2007, a maintenance employee fell to his death from an elevated work platform. The platform had been designed by the company, fabricated by the four site maintenance employees and installed by the same four site maintenance employees. The platform had guard rails and toe board. The platform was approximately 120 inches by 54 inches with some additional platform that filled void between the two adjacent grain bins. The platform was designed with a 24 inch by 26 inch opening which would later be fitted with a grain hopper. It was planned that two of the large concrete bins would have holes cut in them. Grain would fall from the bin into a chute then into a hopper when chute gate(s) were open. The hopper and platform were designed so that the hopper would set in the floor hole of the platform. An aerial lift and a material handler were used to install the fabricated platform. A fixed ladder with purchased cage around it was installed to access the platform. The platform was installed on or around October 4, 2007. The ladder installation was finished on or about the morning of October 5, 2007. The maintenance supervisor and his three employees accessed the platform on October 5, 2007 to mark the grain bins. Holes would be cut at the marked location. The supervisor left the area instructing the three maintenance employees to cut the holes in the bins. Anchor points and chain had been installed to retain the block of concrete cut from the bin; preventing it from falling into the bin or out toward the platform. The chains would have to be moved before the upper horizontal cut could be made. They planned to make the upper cut first, then re-affix the block retaining system. Two employees used the aerial lift to lift themselves, water sprayers and the saw to the location where the cuts would be performed. The third employee ascended the ladder to the platform, arriving prior to the aerial lift. The block retaining chains hung perpendicular to and in front of the top horizontal cut area. Employee three, on the platform, disconnected one of the chains, likely in preparation for the first cut. As the two men in the lift ascended and neared eye level of the employee on the platform, they saw the third employee turn from the left bin, where the chain had been removed, and step into the hole in the platform hole. The victim fell to the concrete base of the bins. The limp victims body slid or fell to the parking lot below. Employee one and two saw employee three fall. Employee two climbed out of the aerial lift to the platform and descended the ladder to the victim and used a cell phone to call for emergency assistance. Employee one lowered the aerial lift and went to get a manager. Employee two administered first aid under direction of the 911 operator. Responders took control of the scene. The fall victim was taken by ambulance to Heartland Hospital. He was declared dead later that same day. The platform floor hole had not been covered prior to the accident. No protective system was in place to prevent a fall through the hole.
12/2009 The victim did stop half way up the 110 foot silo and then started again when he became unable to move when he was approximately five feet from the top of the silo's three by three-foot opening on the roof of the silo. The victim lost his grip and fell to the bottom of the silo hitting the corn in the bottom head first. The employee in the bottom that was just getting ready to exit the silo had to climb out and call down to the employees outside to call 911 and tell them that the employee had fallen and was injured. The employer did not have any rescue equipment on the site in case of an emergency would arise. The only way for any communication is through a small opening in the side of the silo that is twenty foot above the ground level. The employer did not have the air quality checked before the employees entered the silo and the employer advised that he just knew that the air was okay and never checks the air quality.
Jan 2009 An employee was found unconscious at the bottom of the boot pit in a grain elevator. Subsequent autopsy indicated that the probable cause was a fall at work. There were no witnesses On November 5, 2003, Employee #1 was attempting to fix a bearing when he slipped and fell approximately 40 ft while ascending a ladder outside the grain silo bins. Employee #1 suffered a concussion and died.
Oct 2005 EE1 was working alone using an air hose to blow dust from walls and equipment using an extension ladder. He was found later found lying lying on the ground and died from the fall.
An employee arrived to work late and went to the top of a grain elevator to set up for cleaning the silo. The coworker went down in the man lift to the ground level. As he was walking around the building, he heard a loud noise on the dump grating. He ran around and saw the employee lying on the grate. He was not breathing and did not have a pulse and an ambulance was called. He was pronounced dead at the scene. The employee fell 122 feet and 3 inches and there was a 43-inch guardrail installed around the platform at the top of the elevator. The coroner's autopsy report and transcript listed the cause of death as suicide. Xpsx Mar 2003 Ee1 was riding a belt manlift when he fell ~80-100 feet to the first landing which was 20 feet above the ground. No witnesses to the accident. Jun 2000 Employee #1, an 18-year-old summer helper, was in the manlift cage of a grain elevator when he fell out and was killed. Xpsx
January 2006, Employee #1 was working for a grain elevator.He fell from a railroad car while loading grain, sustained a concussion, and was killed. On December 12, 2003, Employee #1 fell approximately 14 ft 6 in. to the ground while loading a railcar with grain. He sustained a left subdural hematoma with bilateral cerebral edema and subarachnoid hemorrhage. After being in a deep coma for approximately 8 hours, he was pronounced dead. Xspx
September 2006, Employee #1 was lifting an overhead gate while helping to load a grain truck, when he suffered a coronary event and fell from an open-sided platform. He was transported to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead due to severe coronary artery atherosclerosis. At 3:00 p.m. on October 28, 2004, Employee #1, who delivered grain for Winnebago Grain & Feed, was attempting to access the freight hauling bucket at the rear of the two-axle truck. The truck was equipped with a metal ladder welded to one of the swinging doors at the rear of the truck. Instead of using this attached ladder, he utilized a 10-foot metal ladder at about a 30 degree angle from the horizontal. When he was ready to enter the bucket of the truck, the ladder slid out from underneath him and he fell approximately 4 feet onto a concrete floor. Employee #1 sustained a fractured pelvis and was hospitalized. Xpsx Feb 2001 Employee #1 fell off a gate that was approximately 42 in. off ground and hit his head. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Xpsx Feb 2000 On the afternoon of February 22, 2000, Employee #1, an automotive technician for Cargill, Inc., who designed and positioned various safety sensors and devices in the plant and who worked with vendors and contractors to see that the equipment was properly installed, was making his rounds. He was walking on the catwalk on conveyor 45 in bin #311, probably checking the heat sensors on the conveyor bearings at this location. He left a folder containing diagrams on the catwalk and went through an opening to descend a ladder to a platform below the machine to look at a conveyor tensioning device. Apparently, Employee #1 fell approximately 122 ft from this lower platform, struck and dented a vent pipe before landing on a lower platform approximately 8 ft above ground. He was killed. The platform was enclosed by guardrails and screening, and provided access to a caged ladder going down to a lower platform. That platform also was provided with guardrails. It was speculated that after Employee #1 fell, he got up and climbed down a short ladder to the ground and walked approximately 60 ft into the basement of a dryer before collapsing on the floor. He was found by a coworker passing through the area. Employee #1 was transported to West Jefferson Hospital, where he was treated for six fractured ribs and a collapsed lung. He did not have any perceptible head injuries when admitted to the hospital, but his breathing was difficult. According to a thoracic and vascular surgeon, he died from oxygen deficiency to the brain. It is not clear how Employee #1 fell from the platforms, all of which were enclosed by screening or guardrails or a combination xpsx On January 17, 2000, Employee #1 was checking the level of soy beans in a grain bin because of an inconsistency with the inventory and the fact that beans had been transferred from this bin to other bins for off-loading. The eave of the bin is 73 ft above ground level and the sloped roof angled up approximately another 20 ft. The bin top has a flat area estimated to be about 8 ft in diameter, but is largely restricted by a super flow conveyor, conduit, and other equipment. On the flat area is a circular hatch opening (approximately 6 in. in diameter) with a lid where employees take one grain measurement. A second measurement is taken at the eave level through a man hole at the side of the bin opposite the 6-in. hatch opening. Access to the man hole is down a series of steps built into the slope of the bin which run from the bin top to the eave. A catwalk with standard guardrails is used to gain access to the top of the bin. However, the railing did not extend the full length of the catwalk nor was the end of the catwalk guarded. The last upright of the guardrail also served as one of the side rails for a fixed, 4-rung ladder employees use to gain access to the top of the bin. The other side rail was formed by a single, vertical piece of angle iron. On the bin top the available walking space was estimated by employees to be approximately 2.5 ft due to the obstructions. It would be necessary to take several steps to either side of the ladder to remove the cover from the 6-in. hatch or to access the steps which led to the man hole. There were no guardrails or equivalent protection on the top of the bin, and the steps had a railing on only one side that did not have a mid-rail or toe board. Employee #1 fell from the top of the grain bin and was killed. xpsx
On March 7, 2008 at approximately 7:45 a.m. a grain elevator superintendent (EE #1) and a truck driver (EE #2), both employees of XXX Elevator Company, were loading a truck with soybeans from a 250,000 bushel capacity steel bin (59 ft. high, 75 ft. diameter). EE #1 climbed up the outside ladder and down the inside ladder of the bin and stood on the beans, trying to unplug the open front floor hole with a garden hoe. EE #2 stayed outside the bin and was in radio contact with EE #1 who was inside the bin. EE #2 told EE #1 he needed to stop the loading operation and take care of another customer at another building for 10-15 minutes. EE #2 shut off the unload conveyor. When EE #2 returned to the bin, he told EE #1 he needed to run the unload conveyor for about 3 more minutes to fill the truck (capacity approx. 960 bushels). When the truck was filled, EE #2 turned off the unload conveyor and told EE #1 to come out of the bin. EE #1 said it would be easer to come out of the bottom side door of the bin. EE #2 advised him that there was too much product in front of the door to exit there. EE #1 did not want to climb the inside ladder to the top of the bin and then climb down the outside ladder and told EE #2 he would come out the side door. EE #2 again told EE #1 to come out of the bin, and EE #1 declined. EE #2 started to leave to deliver the truck load when he heard EE #1 call for help on the radio. EE #2 then dialed 911. EE #1 was totally engulfed by soybeans resulting in asphyxia. He was pronounced dead at the scene by the LaSalle County coroner after removal by local emergency rescue services. The employer estimates there were approximately 40,000 bushels of soybeans in the bin at the time of the employee's death. The employer's written safety and health program prohibited entry into bins from above the level of the grain without a body harness and life line/or boatswain's chair, attendant and suitable rescue equipment. Management and employees interviewed reported that it was the company's policy to never enter a grain bin from the top. The victim had 30 years of experience in the grain handling industry. 9/24/07 Employee #1 (victim) CEO/Facility Manager - Inside Bin Employee #2 (rescued) - Inside Bin Employee #3 - In Tunnel Employee #4 - In Tunnel Employee #5 - Outside of Bin At approximately 11:20 p.m., four employees of a grain co-op attempted to unclog/maintain flow of a 230,000 bushel capacity grain bin that was approximately one-fourth full. Two employees entered through the top of the bin and descended the ladder to the grain. No fall protection/personal protective equipment was utilized. One carryied a length of conduit, the other a length of rebar, and both with only flashlights for lighting, they positioned themselves over the clogged chute/conveyor while two other employees, Employees #3 and #4, attempted the same from the tunnel below the bin. The conveyor was energized and operating during this process. When the chute cleared and grain flowed Employee #2 began to sink into the grain. Employee #1 grabbed Employee #2 and pulled him free when instantaneously Employee #1 was overcome by the flow of the grain. Employee #2 grabbed Employee #1 to save him but could not retrieve him. Employee #1 disappeared into the grain. Employee #2 screamed and was heard only by Employee #5 who in turn entered powerhouse and shut down conveyor system. Numerous Fire and EMS units responded. The coroner was contacted and on site until the victim was extracated on 9/25/07 at approximately 5:00 a.m. The bin was 72 feet in diameter and approximately 80 feet high. The employees were emptying it of soy beans and intended to fill it with corn. Clumps of spoiled soy beans, some to be in excess of 1 foot across, were observed outside the bin after emergency rescue/recovery.
November 12, 2009, Employee #1, entered into a bin on top of the grain in an attempt to get the grain to flow. Employee #1 became engulfed and was asphyxiated. Employee #1 and Employee #2, the 2nd Man, were attempting to unplug the bin to get the out- of-condition milo to flow out of the bin. Employee #1 and Employee #2 tried to get the grain to flow by poking with a metal bar from the pit and by reaching into the bin at the side entry manhole with a long- handled scraper. The grain was at and above the level of the manhole. The distance from the manhole to the throat of the chute at the bottom of the bin was approximately 17 feet. Employee #1, wearing a harness and a lifeline which was attached to a tractor positioned outside the bin at the manhole, entered the bin. Employee #2, acting as the observer, was positioned at the manhole cover. Employee #1 instructed Employee #2 to go into the pit and probe from the pit while he attempted to break up the grain from inside the bin. Employee #2 did as he was instructed. The grain was flowing a little. Employee #2 came back up to the work floor. The grain stopped flowing again and Employee #1 instructed Employee #2 to go back down to the pit and probe again. Employee #2 did as he was instructed. Employee #2 came back up to the work floor and this time Employee #1 was not visible and did not respond to Employee #2. Employee #2 turned off the leg and attempted to pull Employee #1 out of the bin by starting the tractor and backing it away from the manhole. At the truck dump grate the rear tire on the tractor lost traction and would not back any further. Employee #2 called the Elevator Superintendent and then 911. 8/07, employee entered a bin while the conveyor beneath was running. Employee attempted to remove bridging or corn. Employee became engulfed in grain and asphyxiated
August 2009 victim was loading a truck with soybeans when the flow of soybeans stopped. The victim entered the east side number 3 grain bin,which contained approximately 15,000 bushel of soybeans, to attempt to free any obstructions to allow the soybeans to flow into the conveyor and load the truck. The victim entered the bin alone without wearing any type of fall protection. The victim had notified the manager that he was entering the bin to free the obstruction. The victim became engulfed in the soybeans. Co- Workers became concerened when they could not locate the victim and contacted the local police and volunteer fire department who in turn contacted area fire departments trained in confined space rescue. The victim's body was recovered at approximately 8:03PM. Oct 2009 employee entered grain bin from above the grain. Employee was not wearing safety harness. Employee sank in the grain and suffocated. Sep 2008 September 2008 employee #1 was found unresponsive in a grain elevator's scale pit by employee #2, an employee of another company. Employee #1 was in an identified permit required confined space without a monitor/attendant or rescue available. A permit was not filled out. The length of time employee #1 was in the scale pit is unknown. Ventilation or air monitoring was not performed before entry. Employee #1 was pronounced dead at the scene. March , 2008 a grain elevator superintendent (EE #1) and a truck driver (EE #2) were loading a truck with soybeans from a 250,000 bushel capacity steel bin (59 ft. high, 75 ft. diameter). EE #1 climbed up the outside ladder and down the inside ladder of the bin and stood on the beans, trying to unplug the open front floor hole with a garden hoe. EE #2 stayed outside the bin and was in radio contact with EE #1 who was inside the bin. EE #2 told EE #1 he needed to stop the loading operation and take care of another customer at another building for 10-15 minutes. EE #2 shut off the unload conveyor. When EE #2 returned to the bin, he told EE #1 he needed to run the unload conveyor for about 3 more minutes to fill the truck (capacity approx. 960 bushels). When the truck was filled, EE #2 turned off the unload conveyor and told EE #1 to come out of the bin. EE #1 said it would be easer to come out of the bottom side door of the bin. EE #2 advised him that there was too much product in front of the door to exit there. EE #1 did not want to climb the inside ladder to the top of the bin and then climb down the outside ladder and told EE #2 he would come out the side door. EE #2 again told EE #1 to come out of the bin, and EE #1 declined. EE #2 started to leave to deliver the truck load when he heard EE #1 call for help on the radio. EE #2 then dialed 911. EE #1 was totally engulfed by soybeans resulting in asphyxia. He was pronounced dead at the scene by the coroner after removal by local emergency rescue services. The employer estimates there were approximately 40,000 bushels of soybeans in the bin at the time of the employee's death. The employer's written safety and health program prohibited entry into bins from above the level of the grain without a body harness and life line/or boatswain's chair, attendant and suitable rescue equipment. Management and employees interviewed reported that it was the company's policy to never enter a grain bin from the top. Jan 2008 victim entered a soybean grain bin to clear a clog. A co-worker was assisting the victim from the outside, and maintained communication by radio. The victim was left alone while his co-worker went to check the belt conveyor which ran underneath the grain bin. While left alone, the victim was engulfed in soy beans. 9/24/07 Employee #1 (victim) CEO/Facility Manager - Inside Bin Employee #2 (rescued) - Inside Bin Employee #3 - In Tunnel Employee #4 - In Tunnel Employee #5 - Outside of Bin At approximately 11:20 p.m., four employees of a grain co-op attempted to unclog/maintain flow of a 230,000 bushel capacity grain bin that was approximately one-fourth full. Two employees entered through the top of the bin and descended the ladder to the grain. No fall protection/personal protective equipment was utilized. One carryied a length of conduit, the other a length of rebar, and both with only flashlights for lighting, they positioned themselves over the clogged chute/conveyor while two other employees, Employees #3 and #4, attempted the same from the tunnel below the bin. The conveyor was energized and operating during this process. When the chute cleared and grain flowed Employee #2 began to sink into the grain. Employee #1 grabbed Employee #2 and pulled him free when instantaneously Employee #1 was overcome by the flow of the grain. Employee #2 grabbed Employee #1 to save him but could not retrieve him. Employee #1 disappeared into the grain. Employee #2 screamed and was heard only by Employee #5 who in turn entered powerhouse and shut down conveyor system. Numerous Fire and EMS units responded. The coroner was contacted and on site until the victim was extricated on 9/25/07 at approximately 5:00 a.m. The bin was 72 feet in diameter and approximately 80 feet high. The employees were emptying it of soy beans and intended to fill it with corn. Clumps of spoiled soy beans, some to be in excess of 1 foot across, were observed outside the bin after emergency rescue/recovery. May 2007 An employee sustained fatal injuries when he was engulfed by millet during a grain bin entry. The employee was part of a three person team that was involved in a grain bin entry and cleaning. The employee entered the bin with a 2nd employee to shovel millet to the center of the bin. The base of the bin is conical shaped and the depth of the millet could not be accurately determined. Employees 1 and 2 as well as the entry supervisor were aware that the auger was running while the employees were inside of the bin. The flow of grain had slowed so the 2nd employee exited the bin to go below to the auger and clear what he believed to be a clog. The attendant/supervisor was involved in a second task when Employee 02 exited the bin. When Employee 02 returned to the bin, the attendant/supervisor asked where Employee 01 was located. After a search of the area they determined that the employee had been engulfed by the millet. The employee was located by EMS and Sheriffs Department personnel approximately 30 minutes after the initial engulfment occurred. The official cause of death was ruled as asphyxiation. The running auger created a condition where the grain was flowing and it appears that the employee became caught in the flow and was subsequently pulled under the millet. There was not any type of restraint or retrieval equipment available at the site to keep the employee from being fully engulfed or to assist with removing Employee 01 from the bin. The bin was manufactured by Butler and erected in 1962. It has an effective depth of 50 feet with a total depth of 58 feet. It has a capacity of 14,346 bushels and a diameter of 21.5 feet. Nov 2004. Five ees were shoveling corn inside a storage silo. The corn engulfed two ees and one died from asphyxiation. Employee's #1 and a coworker were instructed to go into a metal bin filled with approximately 70,000 bushels of soy beans to unclog the under bin belt conveyor. The total capacity of the bin is approximately 250,000 bushel. The coworker entered the bin first and was using a piece of PVC piping to try and unclog the access gate to the under bin belt conveyor. Employee #1 entered and took over for the coworker. As both employees were still in the bin, Employee #1 broke through the access gate and the soybeans began to flow. Employee #1 was pulled into the access gate and the soybeans began to cover him. The coworker tried to pull Employee #1 out. The coworker almost got engulfed himself. Rescue crews arrived and cut holes in the sides of the bin to get to Employee #1. It took approximately 2 hours to 3 hours to free Employee #1. Employee #1 died of asphyxia. Xpsx On September 23, 2003, an employee of BTS, Inc., who had been contracted to clean bin bottoms and bag houses at a Cargill grain elevator, was engulfed by grain while cleaning a bin bottom. The employee was killed. Xpsx On May 12, 2003, Employee #1 and a coworker were in the process of emptying soybeans from a freestanding steel bin. Employee #1 was responsible for operating the bottom unloading equipment, and the coworker working as a truck driver was hauling the semi loads to a different location. The coworker returned to the bin site, noticed that the bottom-unloading auger was running, and was unable to locate Employee #1 at the site. The coworker looked into the bin, and saw a shovel and rod inside the bin. Rescue personnel were contacted, the body of Employee #1 was located in the bin were. Employee #1died of asphyxiation. Xpsx Jan 2003 Employee #1 was standing on a pile of soybeans inside a hopper. He was clearing a chute that was clogged when he was engulfed by the soybeans. He died from asphyxia. Xpsx On July 31, 2002, Employee #1 and coworkers were transferring wheat grain from bin number 12 when the chute became clogged. Employee #1 entered the bin to clear the blockage. He was using a long steel poker to break the clog when the grain began to flow, engulfing him. Employee #1 died of asphyxia. Xpsx On March 20, 2002, Employee #1 and a coworker of Schaefer Grain and Feed Inc. were attempting to load a truck with grain from a chief overhead loadout bin. The bin was plugged so Employee #1 climbed into the bin to unplug it while the coworker stayed outside to close the trap once the bin was unplugged. When the grain started flowing, the coworker could not close the trap on the bin to stop the flow of grain. Employee #1 became engulfed in the grain in the overhead bin. He died of asphyxia. Xpsx At approximately 10:00 a.m. on February 8, 2002, Employee #1, owner and truck driver, entered into his 110,000-bushel grain bin containing soybean. He entered the bin without wearing a full body harness and a rope. Further, the power to the auger was not turned off. He entered when the soybeans stopped flowing out to the trucks. Employee #1 informed another worker to turn off the auger and bring him a harness and rope. When this worker returned Employee #1 had disappeared beneath the soybean and was recovered 5.5 hours later. Employee #1 died of asphyxia. Sep 2001 Employees were transferring grain from a grain bin through the elevator into rail cars. The process involved opening the grain bin, allowing the grain to flow into the truck dump pit, to the leg located in the boot pit. The grain then ran along the leg up to the elevator scales and out to the rail cars. While transferring the grain, the grain became clogged at the bin. The employee opened up a second bin of grain as to not disrupt the flow of grain while attempting to free up the clog from the other bin. The employee entered into the truck dump pit, a permit-required confined space, to poke at the clog in an attempt to free up the grain flow. The employee poked at the grain with a hoe attached to a long pole. The employee was engulfed in grain. Other employees discovered the employee engulfed in grain and called for help. They entered into the pit to rescue the employee. The employee died from asphyxia. May 2001 Employee #1, a branch manager, entered a flat storage structure for unknown purposes which stored corn. He was found in a semi seated position covered by approximately 1 to 2 ft of corn dead. There was approximately 2 ft of corn between him and the floor and he was found in close proximity to the floor opening leading to the screw auger and a drive through door on the north side of the structure. A plastic rod approximately 92 inches in length was found with Employee #1. The corn was not greater than waist deep along the center auger line but was sloped to approximately 10 to 12 ft towards the sides of the structure. Xpsx Mar 2001 Ee1 was asphyxiated when he was trapped in a grain bin. Jan 2001 Employee #1 died from asphyxiation when he entered grain storage area and suffocated in a pile of beans. Oct 2001 Employee #1 noticed that the flow of material in a grain bin had stopped. He entered the bin to investigate when he was sucked under the grain and buried. Employee #1 died of asphyxia. Jul 2001 Employee #1 and a coworker were in the tunnel of a grain elevator, dislodging an obstruction to the flow. They first jammed a piece of re-rod up through the grain chute into the concrete silo, but that did little to help the problem. Employee #1 then peered into the side opening on the silo to check the grain level. He asked another coworker to spot for him and entered the silo with some tools to dislodge the obstruction. The grain started to flow again and Employee #1 was pulled in and buried. He died of suffocation.
Nov 2009 victim died when trapped by grain auger Oct 2009 Employee #1, Machine/Field Operator, had performed normal task with unloading the soybean from the farmer truck to the Hutchinson Hopper auger, and clean out/scoop out the back of the truck where Employee #1 slipped through the opening hole and got caught in between the blades of the auger while it was still running, were severely lacerated, and subsequently amputated the right leg. The farmer was dumping soybean from his truck did not see exactly what has really happened back there. A few others were working on the conveyor belt about 300 feet away, heard screaming, ran over, and saw that Employee #1 was lying on the ground. They turned off the auger. July 2009 victim was checking equipment in a transfer pit in preparation of transferring grain from one bin to another bin. He had informed his supervisor that he was going into the pit and to check on him if he wasn't back in 10 - 15 minutes. After 10 - 15 minutes, his supervisor sent another employee to check on him. The second employee found the victim on the floor of the pit, he was unresponsive. The second employee entered the pit and shook the victim in an attempt to revive him. The victim was unresponsive. The second employee was becoming light headed and climbed out of the pit. May 2009 A laborer working alone had entered a boot of a concrete grain elevator. When the supervisor did not hear from him for more than an hour he went to investigate. He found the deceased at the bottom of the ladder used to enter the pit. After summoning emergency services, the supervisor entered the space to see if the victim was still alive. He determined that the victim wasn't breathing. The supervisor began to lose consciousness but was able to make it back up the ladder before totally losing consciousness. On June 2, 2005, Employee #1 was trying to clear a soybean clog in a concrete bin when he was engulfed by grain. He was asphyxiated and killed. Xpsx At approximately 3:45 p.m. on April 26, 2005, Employee #1 was shoveling grain located behind some flathouse doors. Employee #1 became engulfed by the grain and sunk to the spout region of the flathouse, where grain exits and enters on a conveyor belt. Coworkers attempted to rescue him, with no success. Emergency services were contacted, but before Employee #1 could be rescued he suffocated and died. Xpsx Aug 2004 Ee went into a corn pit to retrieve a Crank wrench that had slipped through the open grate. The employee slid down the pit with the corn and was engulfed. Jun 2001 Ee1 and two other ees were unloading a railcar of wheat. The plant manager was operating a small belt conveyor to unload the car on one side. The manager heard something and stopped the operation. He went to the top of the railcar and found ee1’s sunglasses. The ee had fallen into the grain hopper and was buried in the grain.
May 2006 Employee #1 was cleaning corn from a flat bin storage facility in preparation for the wheat harvest. A coworker was operating a front-end loader and Employee #1 was hand shoveling when he was buried under approximately 20 feet of grain. Employee #1 was asphyxiated and killed.
May 2009 : Employee #1 had been assigned to clean out a grain bin. The employer's procedure was to move the manual grain sweep while it is operating. However, the employer stated the employee had strict instructions to stay on the back side of the sweep auger. Employee #1's pant leg became caught in the auger pulling his foot in the auger. A second employee that was in the bin also ran over and pulled the plug on the auger causing it to stop. The foot of employee #1 was mangled to the point that the doctor amputated the left foot at the hospital. The bin measured 105 foot diameter. Side walls measured 66 foot. The peak measured 96 foot from ground to center. The auger was 15 horse power with a 9 inch auger. The auger came in 2 sections. One section measured 30 foot and the other section measured 20 foot. The 20 foot section was not attached at the time of the accident. May 2009 employee #1 was cracking corn and making a gluten mix when the augur became jammed with product and stalled. Employee #1 believed the augur motor had been turned off at the control panel. Employee #1 pulled on the belt to reverse the augur and clear the jammed product. When the jam broke free the belt pulled employee #1's right hand into the belt and pulley pinch point. The 5th digit was severed and the 3rd and 4th digits were injured where surgery was able to save the use of the fingers. The equipment had not been de-energized. The motor driven belt and pulley system was not guarded. October 2006, Employee #1 and a coworker were replacing the clips on the splice of a belt conveyor. The coworker was located on top of the belt conveyor as Employee #1 was positioned between the belts near the tail pin pulley. The belt conveyor was inadvertently energized that caused Employee #1 to be pull towards the pulley. He sustained multiple fractures across his body from the rotating parts of the machinery and died. The coworker was thrown from the chute and sustained minor injuries. August 2006, Employee #1 was operating a nut boxing machine. During operation, the plastic wrap became jammed. As a result, Employee #1 reached his left hand into the machine to remove the jam and the tip of his left pinky finger became caught. The tip of the skin on Employee #1's finger was amputated; however, no bone was crushed. The accident investigation revealed that the accident could have been avoided if the machine had been shutdown before removal of the bound plastic was performed. Since the accident, an additional guard has been placed on the machine and a light screen that will cause the machine to shutdown if it is removed. Mar 2003 Ee1 and a coworker were cleaning a seed blender when ee1 reached into the trap door to clean out the left over product. The coworker started the blender while ee1 still had his hand near the auger and his hand was caught by the rotating conveyor. His hand was amputated. July 2009 Employee #1 was working on the gear box for the auger on the 110,000 bushel #14 grain bin when Employee #2 discussed going into bin #12 to clean up. Employee #2 entered the 165,000 bushel #12 grain bin through a 24 1/2" manhole opening located in the side to sweep up the remaining soy beans that were present after the bin was emptied. The dragline conveyor was in operation and a gate/door to the dragline conveyor was open when Employee #2 entered bin #12. Employee #1 told Employee #2 that he would go around bin #12 and close the gates/doors to the dragline conveyor running under bin #12. Employee #2 told Employee #1 he was not going to go near the gates/doors. Employee #1 took approximately 5 minutes to walk around to the control room in front of bin #12 and turn off the dragline conveyor. The gate/door was left open for cleaning purposes. At approximately noon when Employee #1 was going to lunch he noticed Employee #2 was not present. Employee #1 then sent Employee #3 to look for Employee #2. At approximately 12:30 pm Employee #3 found Employee #2 inside of bin #12 with his left leg in the dragline conveyor gate/door. Employee #3 entered bin #12 and radioed for help. Employee #1 and Employee #4 entered bin #12 to rescue Employee #2. Employee #2 was unresponsive. Employee #3 exited the #12 bin when the others arrived so as to manually reverse the dragline conveyor to free the leg of Employee #2. Employee #2 was pronounced dead at the scene by the county coroner
Mar 2009 A employee working alone in the basement of a grain elevator and was found unresponsive, trapped between a moving grain belt conveyor and a conveyor crossover walkway. The conveyor belt was 21 1/2 inches above the floor. A small amount of corn and spoiled grain was being transported when the entrapment occurred. The space between the belt and the cross over platform was appproximately 10 inches. The employee died from his injuries. November 2005, Employee #1 was driving a tractor which was attached to a cultipacker, a device that furrows the soil using multiple metal spiked discs that rotate as the tractor moves, that was attached to a planter, a device that stores seed and opened and closed by a rope. Employee #1 would pull and release a nylon rope that ran from the tractor cab to the planter to open and close a door under the planter box to stop the flow of seed or to drop seed into the soil. Seeds were to be dropped from the planter box only while moving down rows and not when the tractor was turning at the end of a row. Employee #1's gloved right hand was wrapped around the nylon rope when the rope got caught in between the discs of the cultipacker. The rope to became taut and amputated his right ring finger to the first knuckle Sep 2005. Ee was found caught between the conveyer belt and pulley in the boot pit. On March 30, 2005, Employee #1 was cleaning spilled grain from under a running conveyor, which was 5 ft above the ground. The underside of the conveyor belt was not guarded. Employee #1 was using a 1-in. air hose equipped with a ball valve and a 4-ft 0.5-in. diameter aluminum tip. Employee #1 and the air hose were caught and pulled over the drum, between the drum and the belt. The belt was moving at the speed of 87.36 ft per second. Employee #1 was killed. Xpsx Feb 2002 Employee #1 was cross cutting wood with a radial arm saw and when he finished the cut he attempted to return the device to the home position. The non kick back fingers had fallen and were caught on the fence and would not allow the saw to return to the home position. He turned off the saw and attempted to move the non kick back fingers back into place. His glove caught on the saw teeth and since the blade was still rotating his fingers was pulled into the blade. His thumb was lacerated and his index finger was amputated at the first knuckle. He was hospitalized xpsx
Oct 2007 Employee #1 and Employee #2 were inside a 40 foot diameter flat bottom steel grain bin preparing it for receiving milo. Employee #1 and employee #2 were inside the grain bin sweeping corn into the floor auger. Employee #1 went over to the southwest manway to talk to employee #3, who was outside the bin acting as an attendant. Employee #1 then stepped back from the manway to continue work when he stepped into the floor opening containing the 12 inch diameter grain auger. Employee #1 stepped into the floor opening through a sliding gate that was open enough to allow his foot through. Employee #3 saw this and shut off the auger. Employee #1 was trapped inside the auger pit until the Fire Department cut the covers off the auger pit and extricated employee #1 from the grain bin. Employees #1 was then transported to hospital with severe lacerations to his left leg and ankle. At approximately 9:30 a.m. on March 23, 2005, an employee was working alone, operating grain handling equipment. He was working outside, around a concrete slab and an auger. The auger was positioned horizontally, approximately 21 inches above the concrete slab surface and was used to transport grain from the bins to the grain leg. There were covers over several sections of the auger. The cover for the end section of the auger was either not in place or, according to the employer, the cover slipped when the employee stepped on it. The employee's left leg became entangled in the approximately 12-in. rotating auger, when he attempted to cross over the end section of the auger. The employee's left leg was severed, and he traveled approximately 50 ft before collapsing. The employee was discovered by coworkers and was transported to the local hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Xpsx On February 4, 2005, Employees #1, #2, and #3, of Roberts Brothers, Inc., were cleaning out the grain and bean bin, removing the remaining beans. Employee #2 was at the main area for the main/unloading auger next to the ON/OFF push buttons for that auger. Employee #1 was outside the tank/bin operating the ON/OFF push buttons for the sweep auger, which is located in the tank/bin. Employee #3 was inside the tank/bin sweeping behind the sweep auger. Employee #1 saw that Employee #3 was falling behind in the tank/bin and entered the tank/bin to assist Employee #3. While assisting Employee #3, Employee #1 slipped on some soy beans and stepped into one of the approximately one-foot-square holes that feed the main/unloading auger, which was in operation. Employee #1's right foot became entrapped in the main/unloading auger. He was hospitalized, and his right decleg was amputated below the knee. Xpsx Dec 2004 EE was working on auger using the cover as a workplatform. He feel from the outside auger plaform and died. No fall protection system in place. At about 11:00 a.m. on September 7, 2004, Employee #1, a grain handling operator, was cleaning bin Number 8. Employee #1 was following the sweep auger while cleaning. At approximately 3:00 p.m., he was found dead in front of the sweep auger with his right arm entangled in the equipment. Sep 2002 On September 24, 2002, an employee was working inside a grain bin while the unloading auger conveyor was running. He became caught and was pulled into the grain. The employee died of asphyxia. The auger conveyor was not locked-out at the time of the accident. Xpsx On August 16, 2002, Employee #1 was climbing down a ladder into a grain elevator boot when he stepped on a grain auger cover. The cover came off and his right leg was caught in the auger. Employee #1 later died of amputation injuries sustained in the accident.
In the early morning hours of October 25, 2005, Employees #1, #2, and #3 were among several customers and employees at a feed mill and grain elevator. An explosion occurred affecting the areas around the head house. It also sent out a fireball. A semi truck parked between the elevator and the feed mill was being unloaded at the time; it was covered with debris. Employees and customers were in the immediate area; most were able to flee the building after the explosion. Six people were injured, three of them employees. All were taken to nearby hospitals, with two transferred to specialized burn centers. Employees #1, #2, and #3 were hospitalized with burns and scalds. The initial explosion and fireball were short lived, with only a few small spot fires remaining. The elevator and feed mill received significant structural damage. Jul 2005 No employees on site when an explosion happened. $25M loss. On February 23, 2004, Employee #1 was working in a grain elevator. The elevator exploded and Employee #1 was burned. He was hospitalized since skin grafts and therapy were required.
On September 1, 2000, Employee #1, a loader operator, and two coworkers were using a Case Bobcat skid loader to reinsert a 9 ft by 12 ft metal bulkhead door onto a storage bin. Using two open hooks, they attached one end of a 1/4 in. diameter log chain to the loader bucket and the other end onto the 1,200 lb door to maneuver it into the right spot so they could set it with pins. Employee #1 raised the door into place and the coworkers placed one of the steel pins in the frame to begin to secure it. They could not get the door lined up properly, however, because they were unable to push it into place. Employee #1 left the skid loader on idle and went to help them move and lift the door. As all three of the workers pushed up on the door to get it in place, the log chain unhooked from the door, which began to fall back on them. The two coworkers escaped, but Employee #1 slipped and fell, and the door landed on top of him. He suffered severe crushing injuries and was transported to the hospital, where he died on September 17, 2000.
On December 17, 2004, Employee #1, an elevator operator, was moving beans from one elevator to another with a Wentworth tandem-axle grain truck. He loaded a grain truck with beans from one elevator on site and drove to the other elevator and unloaded the truck in a covered drive-through unloading area. He then pulled forward without lowering the box of the truck, striking the box on an overhead door. This caused a partial collapse of the building. Employee #1 was crushed in the cab of the truck and killed. On September 23, 2002, an employee dumped grain from trucks at the south pit of Alliance Grain Co., when the left front wheel of a full gravity wagon struck him. The employee sustained crushing injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene. Xpsx Jul 2001 Employee #1 attached a 100-pound-per-square-inch air hose to a 55-gallon drum of oil in an attempt to force the oil to flow faster out of the barrel. He was standing in front of the barrel when the end blew out and struck him. The impact pushed him back and down causing his head to strike a concrete block wall. He was hospitalized with a concussion. On January 5, 2001, Employee #1 was sampling haylage in an above ground bunker system. He was struck by large mass of frozen haylage from the south wall. He sustained trauma to head, neck, and chest and died. Xpsx Feb 2000 Employee #1, a feed delivery driver, was climbing the rear ladder of a single axle, portable feed bin to close the top access hatch. This 2,500 lb capacity bin was a converted grinder/mixer that had previously been used to mix, grind, and spread feed and fertilizers, and from which the mixer blades and PTO-drive had been removed. It was mounted on an unattached single-axle trailer with its connecting tongue resting on the ground. Employee #1 was ascending the rear ladder when the bin apparently pivoted on its single axle and tipped backward, crushing him between the metal gate of the adjacent horse corral and the top of the feed bin. Employee #1 was killed. xpsx
February 2006, Employee #1 was raising a load with a skid-steer loader that was equipped with a pallet fork attachment. The load was comprised of a corrugated aeration pipe that measured approximately 20 ft long and 24 in. diameter, weighed approximately 350 pounds, and contained residual corn product. The loader tipped forward, and Employee #1 was caught in between the skid arms and the ground. He was crushed and killed. Mar 2000 Employee #1 was driving a forklift truck near the Ringsted (IA) city limits when it overturned. His right leg became caught underneath it and had to be surgically amputated below the knee. Xpsx
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