Missouri Farm Cooperative Fined $241K for Lacking Proper Equipment

A Missouri grain cooperative could have prevented an employee’s fatal engulfment in a storage bin in May 2024 had it followed federal workplace safety requirements, the U.S. Department of Labor determined.

Responding to the employer’s report of a worker fatality, investigators with the department’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration learned that three employees of MFA Inc., operating as MFA Rail Car, were removing corn screenings – comprised of clumps of corn dust – from a bin at the company’s Hamilton facility. One worker entered the bin to clear screenings and became engulfed when the screenings shifted. Another worker tried to rescue his co-worker but was engulfed to his waist before being rescued by first responders from the local fire department.

OSHA found the Columbia grain cooperative had not completed a required bin entry permit before allowing the worker inside. Additionally, the conveyor was running with the bin’s bottom gate open, increasing the risk of product shifting and the risk of engulfment. The employer also lacked adequate rescue equipment, failed to ensure the worker wore a harness and lifeline and did not follow other required safety procedures before entering the bin.

Following its inspection, OSHA cited MFA Inc. for one willful violation and five serious violations and proposed penalties of $241,887.

Founded in 1914, MFA Inc. is a regional farm supply and marketing cooperative based in Columbia that serves more than 45,000 farmers and owners in Missouri and nearby states.