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Syracuse, New York. On November 29, 2021, an executive at McDowell and Walker Inc., a manufacturer and supplier of grain, feed and other agricultural products, ordered an untrained employee to enter a grain silo to clear out deposits that are clogging feed. Entry point to the silo at the company’s plant in Afton.
While attempting to clear the buildup, the conveyor belt that transported feed to the silo was activated and some workers were engulfed in leftover feed. An employee escaped serious injury with the help of a colleague.
An audit by the US Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration found that McDowell and Walker Inc. exposed a worker to the risk of being swallowed up for failing to comply with legally required safety precautions when handling grain. In particular, the company failed to:
OSHA also identified many other hazards at the Afton plant related to pending programs to reduce the accumulation of flammable grain dust on ledges, floors, equipment and other exposed surfaces, blocked exit routes, fall and trip hazards, and insufficiently secured and protected drill presses. and incomplete audit reports.
OSHA cited the company for two willful workplace safety violations, nine major violations, and three non-serious workplace safety violations and offered a $203,039 fine.
McDowell and Walker Inc. failed to comply with the necessary safety measures and almost cost the life of a worker,” said Jeffrey Prebish, OSHA District Director in Syracuse, New York. “They must provide OSHA grain handling training and equipment to ensure workers are protected from grain handling hazards.”
The OSHA Grain Safety Standard focuses on six hazards in the grain and feed industry: swallowing, dropping, spiral wrapping, “bumping,” combustible dust explosions, and electrical shock. Learn more about OSHA and agricultural safety resources.
Established in 1955, McDowell and Walker is a local family business that opened its first feed mill and agricultural retail store in Delhi. The company acquired the Afton plant in the early 1970s and has been supplying feed, fertilizer, seeds and other agricultural products ever since.
Companies have 15 business days after receiving the subpoena and fine to comply, request an informal meeting with the OSHA regional director, or challenge the results before OSHA’s independent review board.