Grain Entrapment Death Prompts $192,000 Federal Safety Fine

Federal safety authorities proposed a $191,322 fine against Columbia Grain International LLC based in Portland, Ore., after a worker died inside a North Dakota grain silo.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration announced Jan. 3 that it had cited Columbia Grain’s Arvilla, N.D., storage facility for allowing workers who lacked proper training to enter a hazardous grain bin, failing to shut down machinery moving grain out of the bin while workers were inside, and failing to train workers on rescue procedures.

Officials from Columbia Grain weren’t available for comment on whether they would contest the citations. The company hasn’t been ...