HAMILTON, MISSOURI, US — MFA, Inc. received one willful violation and five serious violations with proposed penalties of $241,887 from the US Department of Labor after an employee died in a grain engulfment this May.

The department’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) said the cooperative could have prevented the fatal engulfment in a grain storage bin if it had followed federal workplace safety requirements.

OSHA investigators said three MFA employees of MFA, Inc., operating as MFA Rail Car, were removing corn screenings from a bin at the company’s Hamilton, Missouri, US, facility. One worker entered the bin to clear screenings and became engulfed when the screenings shifted.

Another worker tried to rescue his co-worker but was engulfed to his waist before being rescued by first responders from the local fire department, OSHA said.

OSHA found the cooperative had not completed a required bin entry permit before allowing the worker inside. Additionally, the conveyor was running with the bin’s bottom gate open, increasing the risk of product shifting and the risk of engulfment. The employer also lacked adequate rescue equipment, failed to ensure the worker wore a harness and lifeline and did not follow other required safety procedures before entering the bin.

“By neglecting basic safety standards, MFA Rail Car put their workers at serious risk,” said Karena Lorek, OSHA area director in Kansas City, Missouri, US. “Through its outreach and alliance efforts, OSHA works closely with industry partners to educate employers and workers about the critical importance of grain bin safety and reminds all employers to never become complacent in this highly hazardous industry.”

Specifically, OSHA identified the following safety failures:

• Lacking adequate rescue equipment on site when workers entered bins.
• Failing to protect employees from falls on walking working surfaces.
• Not verifying that mechanical, electrical, hydraulic and pneumatic equipment inside grain storage structures were deenergized, locked out and tagged to prevent operation when workers entered.
• Allowing workers to enter a bin without completing the permit process.
• Not testing the bin’s atmosphere before workers entered.
• Not providing a harness and lifeline positioned to prevent the employee from sinking deeper than waist-deep in the grain.

Founded in 1914, MFA Inc. is a regional farm supply and marketing cooperative based in Columbia that serves more than 45,000 farmers and owners in Missouri and nearby states.

The company has 15 business days from receipt of the 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.