Worker fatally engulfed in South Dakota grain elevator
A 51-year-old worker was fatally injured when he became engulfed in flowing grain in a railcar load-out elevator at Prairie Ag Partners. The worker was killed when attempting to remove a jam from a chute while the auger was moving. OSHA cited the Lake Preston, S.D., company for multiple violations, many involving OSHA's grain handling, permit-required confined space and fall protection safety regulations. Proposed penalties total $120,120.
"A worker can be completely submerged in flowing grain within a matter of seconds. That is what happened in this case, and a worker paid with his life," said Eric Brooks, OSHA's area director in Bismarck. "If Prairie Ag Partners had followed basic safety standards, this tragic incident could have been prevented."