Willful Combustible Dust Violations Lead to $191,700 Fine for Grain Cooperative

A farmers’ cooperative faces $191,700 in proposed fines in the wake of inspections held in the fall and winter of 2011 that found combustible dust violations among other hazards, the Labor Department’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration announced April 10.

The Alabama Farmers Cooperative Inc., headquartered in Decatur, Ala, was cited for 17 violations after OSHA conducted inspections based on a complaint.

The costliest allegations are two willful violations with proposed fines of $63,000 each, for combustible dust problems found during an Oct. 6 inspection of the cooperative’s grain handling operation in Decatur.

OSHA accused the cooperative of not having ...