Employees Damage at Fargo Grain Bin Yields Employers Dedication to Enhance Office Security, Shield Workers
The Fargo Grain Bin Worker Injury is an expression of the employer’s commitment to improving workplace safety and protecting employees
- 03/25/21
- WorkersCompensation.com
Fargo, ND (WorkersCompensation.com) – A seed manufacturing company in North Dakota is committed to changing its safety procedures and training following a 2020 worker’s serious and life-changing injuries.
Red River Commodities Inc. signed a settlement agreement with the U.S. Department of Labor’s Labor Protection Agency after investigating the circumstances under which an employee sustained multiple cuts and a partial amputation of his leg when caught in an operational grain bin auger on August 20, 2020 .
The OSHA investigation revealed that the employee had slipped into a plant auger while removing sunflower seeds from a grain bin. The agency cited the company with seven deliberate violations, one repeated violation, four serious and two non-serious violations of agency regulations for grain handling, confined space, machine safety and electrical safety. The inspectors also found that Red River had insufficiently trained workers to identify hazards and take appropriate safety measures.
Under the agreement, the company will pay a US $ 225,000 fine, provide immediate annual training to employees on procedures and hazards associated with importing grain bins, and revise the licensing procedures for confined space and grain bins across the company. The company has already bought atmospheric testing equipment.
“This tragedy was avoidable. Red River Commodities now understands the value of OSHA’s safety requirements and the importance of effective employee training and adherence to safety procedures, ”said Scott Overson, OSHA area director in Bismarck, North Dakota. “Red River employees are now working with OSHA to reduce safety risks at the Fargo construction site and ensure regulatory compliance at facilities across the country.”
Between 2014 and 2019, OSHA found similar violations in seven out of nine previous inspections. As the company paid its fines, the agreement with OSHA suggests that the worker injury in 2020 will finally bring about the changes necessary to prevent future injuries at the company’s facilities.
Red River Commodities Inc., a subsidiary of Amsterdam Commodities NV in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, produces confectionery sunflowers and seeds from other specialty crops such as flax, millet and pumpkin in plants in North Dakota, Kansas and Texas. The Fargo facility stores, mixes and packages grain products for birdseed.
To raise awareness of workplace hazards in the grain handling industry, OSHA is participating in the National Stand-Up 4 Week on Grain Safety 2021 from March 29 to April 2, 2021 with industry leaders and safety experts across the country. OSHA also has its Grain Handling Industry Local Priority Program to focus on the six major threats to the grain and feed industry: entanglement, falls, snail entanglement, “hit by”, combustible dust explosions, and electric shock hazards.
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