An elevator superintendent, 41, suffocated when his lifeline tangled in an unguarded and rotating auger. OSHA investigators determined three workers, including the elevator superintendent, had been standing over the unguarded auger using a pole in an attempt to dislodge soybean debris in a grain bin that contained more than 50,000 bushels of soybeans sloped 12 to 20 feet up its walls. A federal investigation into the worker’s death found multiple violations of federal safety standards for grain handling at the facility. On Sept. 9, 2016, OSHA issued three (3) egregious willful and three (3) serious violations following its investigation of the March 16, 2016, death. From 2011 to 2015, federal inspectors cited the Nebraska farmer-owned cooperative and joint venture six times for violating grain-handling safety standards. The agency has placed the company in its Severe Violator Enforcement Program. OSHA has proposed penalties of $411,540. View current citations below…
Citation 1 Item 1
Type of Violation: Serious; $12,471
29 CFR 1910.219(m)(1)(i): Installed guards were not secured by the use of the following materials: expanded metal, perforated or solid sheet metal, wire mesh on a frame of angle iron, or iron pipe securely fastened to floor or to frame of machine:
The employer is failing to protect employees from hazards such as amputation and crushing injuries by not ensuring that belt and pulley guards were properly secured. This was most recently documented at a worksite in Nebraska on March 15 and March 16, 2016. The expanded metal machine guards for the belt and pulley system for the sub-floor auger motors for Bin 31 and for Bin 32 were not properly secured after multiple belt change-out procedures.
Hazard abated during inspection.
Citation 1 Item 2
Type of Violation: Serious; $12,471
29 CFR 1910.272(g)(1)(iii): The atmosphere within a bin, silo, or tank in the grain handling facility was not tested for oxygen content prior to employee entry.
The employer is failing to protect employees from the respiratory hazard of oxygen deficiency. This was most recently documented at a worksite located in Nebraska on March 16, 2016. Employee(s) entered Bin 31 of soybeans on March 16, 2016, without monitoring for oxygen content prior to or during entry. The initial employee entrant was attempting to clear clogged sub-floor auger openings to remove soybeans from the bin.
Citation 1 Item 3
Type of Violation: Serious; $12,471
29 CFR 1910.272(m)(4): The employer did not implement procedures in the grain handling facility for the use of tags and locks which would prevent the inadvertent application of energy or motion to equipment being repaired, serviced, or adjusted, which could result in employee injury:
The employer is failing to protect employees from amputation and crushing injuries from the unexpected start-up of equipment by not ensuring that each authorized employee affixed a personal lockout or tagout device to the group lockout device, group lockbox, or comparable mechanism, during the replacement of belts on the belt and pulley system for Bin 31 sub-floor auger motor. This was most recently documented on March 14 and March 15, 2016, when two employees worked together to replace defective belts for the sub-floor auger motor.
Citation 2 Item 1
Type of Violation: Willful; $124,709
29 CFR 1910.272(g)(1)(ii): Prior to bin entry, all mechanical, electrical, hydraulic, and pneumatic equipment which presented a danger to employees inside grain storage structures in the grain handling facility were not disconnected, locked out and tagged, blocked-off, or otherwise prevented from operating by other equally effective means or methods:
The employer is failing to protect each employee entering a grain storage bin from hazards including, but not limited to amputation, entanglement, crushing injuries, and engulfment by not de-energizing, locking out, and tagging out the electrical sub-floor auger. This was most recently documented at a worksite located in Nebraska on March 14, 2016, when employee #1 entered Bin 31 to use a rod or pole to help clear soybean debris that was clogging unguarded sump/floor openings during the operation of the sub-floor auger. At the time of entry, Bin 31 contained approximately 50,000 to 60,000 bushels of soybeans.
To abate this violation, the employer must assure that each time an employee enters a grain storage structure at the facility all mechanical, electrical, hydraulic, and pneumatic equipment is de-energized, disconnected, locked out, tagged out, blocked-off, or otherwise effectively prevented from operating. Abatement certification and abatement documentation is required for this violation. The documentation should include written verification of abatement, applicable measurements or monitoring results, and photograph or videos which you believe will be helpful. The abatement certification sheet is enclosed with citation.
Citation 2 Item 2
Type of Violation: Willful; $124,709
29 CFR 1910.272(g)(1)(ii): Prior to bin entry, all mechanical, electrical, hydraulic, and pneumatic equipment which presented a danger to employees inside grain storage structures in the grain handling facility were not disconnected, locked out and tagged, blocked-off, or otherwise prevented from operating by other equally effective means or methods:
The employer is failing to protect each employee entering a grain storage bin from hazards including, but not limited to amputation, entanglement, crushing injuries, and engulfment by not de-energizing, locking out, and tagging out the electrical sub-floor auger. This was most recently documented at a worksite located in Nebraska on March 15, 2016, when employees #2 and #3 entered Bin 31 to use a rod or pole to help clear soybean debris that was clogging unguarded sump/floor openings during the operation of the sub-floor auger. At the time of entry, Bin 31 contained approximately 50,000 to 60,000 bushels of soybeans.
To abate this violation, the employer must assure that each time an employee enters a grain storage structure at the facility, all mechanical, electrical, hydraulic, and pneumatic equipment is de-energized, disconnected, locked out, tagged out, blocked-off, or otherwise effectively prevented from operating. Abatement certification and abatement documentation is required for this violation. The documentation should include written verification of abatement, applicable measurements or monitoring results, and photograph or videos which you believe will be helpful. The abatement certification sheet is enclosed with citation.
Citation 2 Item 3
Type of Violation: Willful; $124,709
29 CFR 1910.272(g)(1)(ii): Prior to bin entry, all mechanical, electrical, hydraulic, and pneumatic equipment which presented a danger to employees inside grain storage structures in the grain handling facility were not disconnected, locked out and tagged, blocked-off, or otherwise prevented from operating by other equally effective means or methods:
The employer is failing to protect each employee entering a grain storage bin from hazards including, but not limited to amputation, entanglement, crushing injuries, and engulfment by not de-energizing, locking out, and tagging out the electrical sub-floor auger. This was most recently documented at a worksite located in Nebraska on March 16, 2016, Employee #3 entered Bin 31 to use a conduit pole to help clear soybean debris that was clogging unguarded sump/floor openings during the operation of the sub-floor auger. At the time of entry, Bin 31 contained approximately 50,000 to 60,000 bushels of soybeans. On March 16, 2016, employee #3 was fatally injured by asphyxiation when his rope lifeline became entangled with the running sub-floor auger in Bin 31.
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