Cargill Inc.: OSHA inspections and violations

Incident on Dec 18, 1995 (fatal): Employee killed when engulfed by grain

Employee #1 and a coworker were using an underground conveyor system to remove g rain from an outside storage pile. The grain became clogged in the dump and as E mployee #1 and the coworker attempted to clear the clog, Employee #1 became caug ht in the grain. He was engulfed and killed.

Incident on Aug 18, 1994: Six employees suffer from anhydrous ammonia inhalation

Between 8:30 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. on August 17, 1994, a terminal operator for Agri cultural Minerals arranged for anhydrous ammonia to be pumped from the pipeline into two 30,000 gallon anhydrous ammonia pressure vessels (bullets) at the anhyd rous ammonia and liquid fertilizer terminal. The high level shut-off switch had been disconnected since July 27, 1994. At about 3:00 a.m. on August 18, 1994, wh ile the terminal operator was working in the compressor room, the bullets were o verfilled and an emergency relief valve released about 1,000 pounds of anhydrous ammonia into the air. The ammonia cloud drifted southward onto another property , where a Cargill, Inc., ethanol plant was under construction. As a result, Empl oyee #1 of Merrill Security, Inc., and Employees #2 through #6 of Ryan & Associa tes (a piping contractor), were sent to Blair Memorial Community Hospital where they received oxygen as first aid for respiratory irritation. Another 18 employe es of Ryan Associates were evaluated and released.

Incident on Jun 23, 1989 (fatal): Employee killed in fall from railroad car

Employee #1 was on top of a railroad car attempting to install a load chute. The handle on the chute came off, and Employee #1 lost his balance and fell backwar d off the railroad car. He died.

Incident on Nov 1, 1986 (fatal): Employee dies in 120 ft fall through ladderway

Employee #1 could not get a manlift to go up to the bin floor, the distributor f loor, or the head house floor. He climbed the ladder to the bin floor, checked t he bins, and then climbed up to the other floors checking the interlocks on the manlift. Returning to the bin floor he either stepped into the open trapdoor of the ladderway or fell through while trying to contact a coworker on the ground. He fell through the trapdoor 120 ft to the ground, striking his head on several landings on the ladderway. He was killed. No other employees were in the grain e levator at the time of the accident.