Wisconsin Dairy Co-Op Cited in Grain Bin Death, Fined $193K

A federal worker safety agency is proposing a $193,000 fine against a Wisconsin dairy co-op after a man died in a grain bin in November.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration on May 11 announced it was citing Burnett Dairy Cooperative for safety violations.

The agency says the 52-year-old worker was trying to unclog a sump at a Grantsburg feed mill when he was engulfed in corn and died in the grain bin.

Inspectors found that Burnett Dairy did not follow safety standards for entering grain bins, failed to deactivate a drag conveyor and allowed the worker to be in the bin while corn was moving.

Burnett Dairy says it plans to challenge the citations. The co-op contends that the worker was trained and was wearing appropriate safety equipment.

Topics Agribusiness