McDowell and Walker Inc. is facing a $203,000 fine from U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
According to a June 8 news release, a supervisor at the company allegedly told an untrained employee to go into a grain silo at the Afton facility to clear a clog in a feed entry point. During the job, a conveyor was accidentally activated, and the employee was partially buried in feed. A colleague reportedly helped the worker avoid serious injury.
“McDowell and Walker Inc.’s failure to follow required safety practices nearly cost a worker his life. They must provide training and equipment as required by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s grain handling facilities standard to ensure workers are protected from grain-handling hazards,” Jeffrey Prebish, OSHA area director, said in the news release.
During an inspection by OSHA, the company was found to have exposed the employee to the life-threatening situation after allegedly failing to adhere to required grain-handling protocols, according to the release.
Moreover, the release noted OSHA uncovered several other potential hazards, including incomplete programs for the removal of flammable grain dust accumulations around equipment and on ledges and floors, exposed surfaces and equipment. The news release noted exits were blocked, and there were multiple tripping hazards and equipment that wasn’t properly anchored.
As a result, the release noted OSHA find the company $203,039 in penalties for two willful, nine serious and three other violations of workplace safety protocols.
