The U.S. Department of Labor has leveled $676,808 in penalties and 14 safety violations against Didion Milling, Inc. for the death of Randy Rote last year.
The 52-year-old manager was found dead on December 8 inside a corn silo, after he entered to clean debris that had clogged up the silo.
The Sun Prairie company has 15 days to comply with or appeal the ruling. In 2017, the company appealed $1.8 million in fines after five workers died and at least fourteen more were injured in a dust-related explosion; those fines have still not been paid as part of the ongoing appeal. The company was not immediately available for comment.
An investigation from the DOL’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) into the Dec. 8 death found the manager had entered the grain bin even though there was a recent external process started to remove corn from the clogged bin, an OSHA statement said. That process should have continued for several more days before anyone entered the bin.
The investigation led to four willful and 10 serious safety citations involving violations for safe entry to grain storage structures.
“Didion Milling’s failure to learn from recent incidents and follow industry standards and their own company policies cost this worker’s life,” said Acting OSHA Regional Administrator William Donovan in Chicago.
“Six of every 10 workers trapped in a grain bin don’t make it out alive. This is a frightening and tragic reality. Safety standards are in place to protect workers from serious and fatal injuries.”
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