Category: Grain Bin & Silo Safety

2010 Chester, Illinois Grain Elevator Explosion Leads to $180 Million Jury Verdict

~ Jack Benton ~ Leave a comment

A federal jury recently awarded three workers approximately $180 million in damages for injuries sustained in a 2010 explosion at a grain elevator owned by ConAgra Foods, Inc.  See Jentz v. Conagra Foods, Inc., No. 3:10-cv-00747 (S.D.I. June 1, 2012).  At the one-month trial in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois, … Continue reading 2010 Chester, Illinois Grain Elevator Explosion Leads to $180 Million Jury Verdict

Worker Rescued From Cement Silo In Holden, Massachusetts

~ Jack Benton ~ Leave a comment

    HOLDEN, Mass. — The Holden Fire Department rescued a man buried chest-deep inside a cement silo at Paquette Concrete in Holden Thursday afternoon. After receiving initial reports at approximately 1:58 p.m. that a worker was trapped in the silo, firefighters responded immediately to the scene at 1395 Wachusett Street. "He was in a … Continue reading Worker Rescued From Cement Silo In Holden, Massachusetts

Reiteration of OSHA Policy on Unguarded Sweep Augers in Grain Bins & Silo’s.

~ Jack Benton ~ Leave a comment

February 16, 2012 The Honorable Kristi Noem U.S. House of Representatives Washington, DC 20515 Dear Representative Noem: Thank you for your November 7, 2011, letter from you and your colleagues regarding the operation of sweep augers inside grain storage structures. Your letter raised concerns about a letter of interpretation that the Occupational Safety and Health … Continue reading Reiteration of OSHA Policy on Unguarded Sweep Augers in Grain Bins & Silo’s.

OSHA Accuses Illinois Company of Grain Bin Violations in Wisconsin

~ Jack Benton ~ Leave a comment

BLOOMINGTON, Ill.— The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration has accused an Illinois company of five safety violations at a grain-handling facility in Wisconsin. The agency says in one case the company knowingly disregarded safety laws. OSHA has proposed fines of $84,000 for Bloomington, Ill.-based Growmark. The company owns the facility in Ixonia, Wis., 25 … Continue reading OSHA Accuses Illinois Company of Grain Bin Violations in Wisconsin

OSHA Letter to Grain Storage Facility Operators Regarding Recent Rise in Grain Bin Fatalities

~ Jack Benton ~ Leave a comment

February 1, 2011 Dear Grain Storage Facility Operator: Last July, two teenagers (ages 14 and 19) were killed in a tragic incident involving a grain elevator in Illinois. Both young workers suffocated after being engulfed in a grain bin they had entered to help clear. A third young worker was pulled out of the storage … Continue reading OSHA Letter to Grain Storage Facility Operators Regarding Recent Rise in Grain Bin Fatalities

OSHA Fines LaBolt, SD, Farmers Grain Company $95,000 for Exposing Workers to Unsafe Grain Bin Working Conditions

~ Jack Benton ~ Leave a comment

The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration has issued LaBolt Farmers Grain Company, Inc. in LaBolt, S.D., 13 citations for exposing workers to unsafe conditions at its grain handling facility where a worker was caught in a moving bin sweep auger and suffered severe injuries to his leg and arm. Proposed penalties … Continue reading OSHA Fines LaBolt, SD, Farmers Grain Company $95,000 for Exposing Workers to Unsafe Grain Bin Working Conditions

New Training & Safety Video for Grain Bins in Light of Rise in Fatalities in 2010 – 2011

~ Jack Benton ~ Leave a comment

Grain Bin Safety Safety Precautions Whenever possible, don't enter a grain bin. If you must enter the bin, as a farm owner/operator you should: Break up crusted grain from the outside of the bin with a long pole. When using a pole, check to see that it doesn't come into contact with electric lines. Wear … Continue reading New Training & Safety Video for Grain Bins in Light of Rise in Fatalities in 2010 – 2011

Number of Suffocation Deaths in Grain Bins is Increasing

~ Jack Benton ~ Leave a comment

By MIKE McGRAW , The Kansas City Star The image of Patrick Hayes’ face after he suffocated in a grain bin under 60 tons of corn still haunts his father, Ron, who remembers: “Tears running down his cheeks; corn dust in his nose, his mouth, his eyes …” That deadly accident occurred 18 years ago. … Continue reading Number of Suffocation Deaths in Grain Bins is Increasing

Workers Comp Exclusive Remedy Challenged

~ Jack Benton ~ Leave a comment

By Roberto Ceniceros    Nebraska grain elevator suit could affect all industries October 9, 2011 - 6:00am AP -Firefighters cut a hole in a Zachow, Wis., grain elevator in June 2010 in searching for an employee who became engulfed in the grain at Sorensen Grain L.L.C. and died. 2010 was a record year for grain entrapment … Continue reading Workers Comp Exclusive Remedy Challenged

New Combustible Dust Website Answers Manufacturers’ Questions about Food Safety Hazards

~ Jack Benton ~ Leave a comment

Food manufacturers know all too well that sugar and spice aren't all that nice when it comes to combustible dust. Processing potentially explosive materials such as flour and grains, many food plants are considered high-risk for a combustible dust accident and related OSHA fines. For this reason, Nilfisk Industrial Vacuums has launched combustibledustprevention.com, a website … Continue reading New Combustible Dust Website Answers Manufacturers’ Questions about Food Safety Hazards