Region 7 News Release:   KC-OSHA-33
October 9, 2001
Contact: Norma Conrad
Phone: 816-426-5491

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Failure to control grain dust levels and other safety violations have led to citations against a Greenleaf, Kan. grain elevator and feed mill following an explosion that killed one worker and seriously injured another in April.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration announced today it has proposed a penalty of $127,400 for two alleged willful and 16 alleged serious violations against the Farmers Coop Elevator Association.

The alleged willful violations are for failure to remove potentially dangerous levels of grain dust and failure to develop and implement a written housekeeping program, a preventive measure which helps ensure future protection of workers, according to OSHA Regional Administrator Charles E. Adkins.

Alleged serious violations included failure to implement a grain elevator machinery preventive maintenance program, failure to provide adequate grain facility training, and failure to implement a lockout-tagout program that ensures machinery will not turn on by accident during maintenance operations. Other alleged serious violations involved electrical, elevated platform, ladder and machine-guarding safety, as well as failure to provide a manlift with an enclosure at least 7 feet in height.

OSHA defines willful violations as those which are committed with an intentional disregard of, or plain indifference to, the requirements of the OSH Act and regulations. A serious violation is one in which there is a substantial probability that death or serious physical harm could result from a hazardous condition, and that the employer knew or should have known of the hazard.

Farmers Coop Elevator Association has 15 working days from receipt of the citations and proposed penalties to comply with them, hold an informal conference with the OSHA area director or contest them before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.

This information will be made available to sensory impaired individuals upon request. Voice phone: 816-426-5481, TDD* Message Referral Phone No. 1-800-347-8032. *Telecommunications Device for the Deaf