Federal investigators find Illinois grain silo operator violated safety standards after worker suffers injury

News Release

Federal investigators find Illinois grain silo operator violated safety standards after worker suffers injury

GIBSON CITY, IL - Federal safety inspectors have found a central Illinois grain company endangered workers and violated federal law by failing to properly guard and lockout/tagout dangerous machinery during grain bin entry, which led to a seasonal laborer suffering a serious foot injury.

The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administrationinitiated an inspection into Alliance Grain Co. after learning that the seasonal laborer suffered the injury after stepping through an unguarded sump hole and onto a moving paddle style unloading conveyor.

OSHA issued two willful, one serious, and three other-than-serious citations for failing to lockout/tagout machinery, protect workers from stepping into the sump holes, and provide grain handling training to employees. Additionally, the employer failed to issue permits prior to bin entry, utilize an observer outside the bin, and ensure the bin's atmosphere was tested before workers entered.

The agency has proposed $276,407 in penalties.

Alliance Grain Co. has 15 business days from receipt of its citations and penalties to comply, request an informal conference with OSHA's area director, or contest the findings before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.

OSHA's machine guarding, lockout/tagout and grain handling safetywebpages provide information on what employers must do to limit worker exposures to machine hazards.