Federal safety inspectors have cited an Illinois grain company for endangering workers and violating safety standards after a seasonal laborer suffered a serious foot injury during grain bin operations.
The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration launched an investigation into Alliance Grain Co. in Gibson City after the worker stepped through an unguarded sump hole and onto a moving paddle-style unloading conveyor.
OSHA issued six citations against the company, including two willful violations, one serious violation, and three other-than-serious citations. The violations centered on the company’s failure to properly lockout and tagout dangerous machinery during grain bin entry and inadequate worker protection around sump holes.
The investigation states that Alliance Grain Co. failed to provide required grain handling training to employees and neglected several critical safety protocols. The company did not issue proper permits before bin entry, failed to station an observer outside the bin during operations, and did not test the bin’s atmosphere before workers entered.
OSHA proposed $276,407 in penalties for the violations. The company has 15 business days to comply with the citations, request an informal conference with OSHA’s area director, or contest the findings before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.
