Tuesday, August 10, 1999
OSHA to investigate death in grain silo accident
BY TOM O'NEILL
The Cincinnati Enquirer
RIPLEY, Ohio — Federal work site safety investigators are looking into the weekend death of a Ripley man who was killed in a grain silo at a small dairy farm here.
Keith Jones, 39, of the 7400 block of Hartman Road, Ripley, Brown County, was killed about 7:30 p.m. Saturday at the Martin Lane farm of Dave Emmons.
Mr. Jones and another worker were inside a silo bin used to store ground corn when Mr. Jones apparently got his pants leg caught in an auger.
An auger is a narrow tool used to bore holes in wood or the earth, with a sharp end for cutting and spiral grooves that remove the wood shavings or dirt from the hole.
Mr. Jones was pronounced dead at the scene, Brown County Sheriff Windell Crawford said Monday. He said Mr. Jones' death was “just an accident” and there was no evidence of a crime.
He added that he knew Mr. Jones, who was married, and that he was “from a good family.”
Dick Gilgrist, assistant area director for the Cincinnati-area office of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), confirmed that the agency is investigating the case and said more details might be available this week.
OSHA, part of the Department of Labor, is required to investigate cases involving worker accidents and safety issues, and has the authority to fine companies not in compliance. An OSHA investigation does not indicate a likelihood that the employer will be held liable.
A search of the agency's Web site did not reveal any previous cases involving the Emmons farm.
Mr. Gilgrist said OSHA has “investigated quite a few” worker fatalities involving farm silos, but they usually occur when a worker is crushed by falling grain.
Brown County Coroner Dr. Tim McKinley did not return a phone call seeking information on the cause of death.
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