Missouri grain facility cited in dust explosion

A grain facility in Adrian, Missouri, is accused of failing to address potential dust ignition sources, a safety issue the Occupational Safety and Health Administration determined led to an explosion that seriously injured an employee, according to an announcement issued Tuesday.

As a result of the 2020 explosion, OSHA cited MFA Enterprises Inc. — operating as West Central Agri Services — for one willful and six serious safety violations after OSHA found that the company failed to equip bucket elevators with monitoring devices that notify workers when a belt is slipping and potentially causing friction that could ignite grain dust.

OSHA standards require these devices at grain handling facilities that have a storage capacity of over one million bushels, and the agency said the company had not updated its dust collection system since its installation in 1974.

Additionally, OSHA found that the company exposed workers to falls by willfully allowing them to walk atop railcars to open and close hatches without fall protection, among other alleged violations.

Efforts to contact the company for comment were not successful.