Corn Dust Convictions Show Perils of Safety Compliance Missteps

Corporate officials risk criminal indictment for workplace safety violation cases if federal investigators believe they are lying, attorneys warn.

The prison sentencings in February of three Didion Milling Inc. officials highlighted the consequences of being untruthful with federal investigators and obstructing an investigation into a 2017 corn dust explosion that killed five workers.

“The Justice Department as a general rule is looking to charge and fine individuals culpable for conduct,” said Andrew Brought, a partner with Spencer Fane LLP in Kansas City, Mo. “There has been a trend in the last five years or so for individual accountability.”

Didion’s ...