The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recently announced that a federal grand jury has indicted the operator and six management officials of a corn mill operation in Wisconsin following a 2017 explosion that killed five workers and injured 15 others. The indictment includes nine criminal counts, including two counts related to willful violations of federal workplace safety standards for grain handling.
The two federal safety standards in the Occupational Safety and Health Act the company is alleged to have willfully violated include failing to develop and implement a written program to effectively prevent and remove combustible grain dust accumulations, and not installing venting or suppression on a dust filter collector to prevent an explosion. The indictment of the business and its current and former managers also includes counts of document falsification in contemplation of a U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Safety and Health Administration investigation and obstructing the federal OSHA investigation.
"Combustible dusts are fine particles that present an explosion hazard when suspended in air under certain conditions,” said Joe Frasca, Senior Vice President of Marketing at EMSL Analytical, Inc. “They can be a potential deadly hazard for workers, not to mention the massive destruction to property they can cause. These are all reasons why programs to prevent combustible dust explosions in industries that are at risk are so important.”
EMSL Analytical, with facilities across the United States and Canada, offers combustible dust laboratory testing services, sampling supplies and air monitoring instruments. These can be key components of safety programs designed to identify combustible dust dangers to protect workers and to help keep companies in regulatory compliance. EMSL Analytical has also sponsored an educational video about combustible dust hazards that can be seen at: https://youtu.be/xX0apupkO3E
To learn more about combustible dust testing or air monitoring instruments, please visit www.EMSL.com, call (800) 220-3675 or email info@EMSL.com .
About EMSL Analytical, Inc.
EMSL Analytical is one of the leading testing laboratories throughout the United States and Canada. EMSL is a nationally recognized and locally focused provider specializing in fast laboratory results for mold, bacteria, Legionella, USP 797, pathogens, asbestos, lead, soot, char & ash from fires, VOC's, odors, radon, formaldehyde, indoor air quality, microbiology, environmental, industrial hygiene, radiological, food, beverage & consumer products, and material testing services for the identification of unknown substances. EMSL services both professionals and the general public. EMSL maintains an extensive list of accreditations from leading organizations as well as state and federal regulating bodies including, but not limited to A2LA, AIHA-LAP, LLC (AIHA-LAP, LLC EMLAP, AIHA-LAP, LLC IHLAP, AIHA-LAP, LLC ELLAP), NVLAP, CDC ELITE, CPSC, CA ELAP, NY ELAP, TX DOH, NJDEP, and multiple other state accrediting agencies. Please visit our website at www.EMSL.com for a complete listing of accreditations. In addition, EMSL carries a wide range of Sampling Equipment and Investigative Products for environmental professionals.
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