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Wisconsin Ag News Headlines
Didion Milling to Appeal OSHA Fines After Explosion
Wisconsin Ag Connection - 12/11/2017

As expected, the Didion Milling Co. in Cambria says it will appeal some of the fines that federal safety officials imposed on the facility after five workers were killed and a dozen others were injured during an overnight explosion on May 31.

In a statement released by the company on Friday, the corn processor said it has decided to move forward in contesting at least some of the citations issued by the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration in November.

"We are working collaboratively with OSHA and the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission through the appeal process, which can take up to a year," the statement read. "We are continuing to work with industry experts and other agencies to determine the cause of the incident."

Last month, OSHA imposed $1.8 million fines on the mill for not complying with safety standards, which investigators say could have prevented the explosion.

At the time, the agency claimed Didion had 14 willful violations, which are issued when employers knowingly fail to uphold workplace safety standards. Eight of those citations were also classified as 'egregious' because they happened repeatedly. Its investigation also found that the mill failed to control highly combustible grain dust in its plant; and did not properly inspect and maintain safety controls on equipment.

Didion has been saying for weeks that it disagrees with the severity of the penalties and is working with its attorney to challenge many of those claims.


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