Inspection Detail

Inspection: 312804909 - Garden City Coop, Inc.

Inspection Information - Office: Wichita Area Office

Investigation Summary

At approximately 9:00 a.m. on November 12, 2009, Employee #1, the Branch Manager at the Garden City Co-op, Inc., and a coworker, were attempting to free jammed milo in a grain bin. They unsuccessfully attempted to get the grain to flow by poking with a metal bar from the pit and by reaching into the bin at the side-entry manhole with a long-handled scraper. The grain level was at and above the level of the manhole. The distance from the manhole to the throat of the chute at the bottom of the bin was approximately 17 ft. Employee #1 entered the bin wearing a harness and a lifeline, which was attached to a tractor positioned outside the bin at the manhole. The coworker, acting as the observer, was positioned at the manhole cover. Employee #1 instructed the coworker to go into the pit and probe from the pit while he attempted to break up the grain from inside the bin. The coworker did as he was instructed, and the grain slowly began to flow. After the coworker returned to the work floor, the grain flow stopped again. The coworker repeated the process at Employee #1's direction. When the coworker again returned to the work floor, Employee #1 was not visible and did not respond to calls. The coworker then turned off the leg and attempted to pull Employee #1 out of the bin by starting the tractor and backing it away from the manhole. At the truck dump grate, the rear tire on the tractor lost traction and would not back any further. The coworker then called the Elevator Superintendent and summoned emergency responders. Employee #1 was rescued from the bin by emergency response personnel and transported to the Lane County Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Keywords: ASPHYXIATED, LIFELINE, GRAIN, WORK RULES, SAFETY BELT, JAMMED, BURIED, GRAIN BIN