At 2:45 p.m. on April 17, 2023, an employee and a manager, 49, were attempting to drain a stillage tank so that repairs could be made to its internal agitator. They needed to verify the quantity level of stillage, so they attempted to remove a manway access cover on top of the tank. They encountered two bolts that were stripped, so they used an angle grinder to cut the top of the bolts off.
When using the angle grinder, sparks ignited the contents of the tank, resulting in a catastrophic explosion. The explosion killed the manager and seriously injured the employee. The tank explosion and subsequent fall from the top of a stillage bin caused the death of the manager and unspecified injuries to the employee.
| Violations/Penalties | Serious | Willful | Repeat | Other | Unclass | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Violations | 3 | 3 | ||||
| Current Violations | 2 | 1 | 3 | |||
| Initial Penalty | $42,412 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $42,412 |
| Current Penalty | $31,250 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $31,250 |
| FTA Penalty | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| # | Citation ID | Citaton Type | Standard Cited | Issuance Date | Abatement Due Date | Current Penalty | Initial Penalty | FTA Penalty | Contest | Latest Event | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 01001A | Serious | 19100106 B06 | 09/11/2023 | 10/05/2023 | $15,625 | $15,625 | $0 | I – Informal Settlement | ||
| 2. | 01001B | Serious | 19100252 A02 VI C | 09/11/2023 | 10/05/2023 | $0 | $0 | $0 | I – Informal Settlement | Citation has been deleted. | |
| 3. | 01002 | Other | 19100252 A02 II | 09/11/2023 | 10/05/2023 | $0 | $11,162 | $0 | I – Informal Settlement | ||
| 4. | 01003 | Serious | 19100252 A02 IV | 09/11/2023 | 10/05/2023 | $15,625 | $15,625 | $0 | I – Informal Settlement |
Source: https://www.osha.gov/ords/imis/establishment.inspection_detail?id=1664207.015