Grain Bin Fall Claims Life at World’s Biggest Malt Plant

A 58-year-old worker died Monday night after falling into a grain bin at the Rahr Malting Co. plant in Shakopee, MN, numerous local news outlets reported Tuesday.

Employees called first responders to the plant at about 9:15 p.m. after the worker fell into a grain bin and contacted some processing equipment, reported local CBS television news affiliate station WCCO. The man was pronounced dead at the scene.

“We are deeply saddened by the death of one of our employees on Monday evening. Everyone at Rahr Corporation is grieving this loss. Our sincerest sympathy goes out to the family members and loved ones,” a statement issued Tuesday by the company’s chief executive officer and president William Rahr, according to an Associated Press report. The incident is under investigation, and the cause of death is not yet known. We are working with public safety officials and OSHA to evaluate all aspects of the incident.”

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Police told the Minneapolis Star-Tribune that the fatality appears to have been an accident, and noted that no one saw the man fall and it is unknown how long he remained lodged in the bin before his body was uncovered.

According to Rahr Malting Co.’s website, the Shakopee plant is the “largest single-site malt production facility in the world” with an annual capacity of 460,000 MT of malt. Producing malt and other brewing ingredients for the beer industry, the site contains six malthouses, four Saladin units, and two towers. 300 bins at the plant offer a total storage capacity of 8 million bushels.

Officials told WCCO that the man had been employed at the Rahr plant for about three months.