The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration's (OSHA’s) Wichita Area Office cited The Scoular Co. on May 2, 2016 for one repeat and four serious violations. The citations are the result of a December 2015 investigation initiated under OSHA's Local Emphasis Program for Grain Handling hazards.
The inspection found:
Workers exposed to fall hazards 10-24 ft from ladderway openings and platforms lacking guardrails and open-sided work platforms.
Employees exposed to grain dust explosion hazards. The employer failed to implement housekeeping procedures to prevent grain dust accumulation in priority and non-priority areas.
Housekeeping procedures did not address removing grain and other products spills form the work area exposing workers to tripping hazards.
"Grain dust accumulation must be controlled to prevent a fuel source in bins from igniting in proximity to operating conveyors, augers and other equipment," said Judy Freeman, OSHA's area director in Wichita. "OSHA grain handling standards address the numerous serious and life threatening hazards found in grain bins including grain dust explosions, engulfment and entrapment from flowing grain, falls, and amputation hazards. These common sense safety standards protect workers on the job in this hazardous industry."
Proposed Penalties total $47,300
Based in Omaha, NE, The Scoular Company operates more than 130 independent business units where 1200 workers are engaged in buying, selling, storing, handling, and processing grain and ingredients, as well as managing transportation and logistics worldwide. The company was founded in 1892 and had nearly $6 billion in sales during fiscal year 2015.
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