UNITED STATES
DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

At approximately 9:30 a.m. on December 11, 1990, Employee #1 was checking grain storage bin #9 for hot spots (areas in the beans that had bridged over due to moisture from weeds and/or cockleburs). The bin was a 305,000 bushel capacity grain storage bin that held approximately 267,750 bushels of soybeans. Employee #1 had identified a hot spot several days earlier. Employee #1 entered bin #9 near the top and was holding the end of a 60 ft long, 1/2 in. nylon rope, which was also secured to the exterior access ladder. At the same time, soybeans were being removed from bin #9 by a sweep auger in the floor of the bin and a 16 in. diameter auger located beneath the bin. The grain was being redistributed and blended into other bins and trucks. At approximately 11:45 a.m., a coworker went to check on Employee #1 and was unable to locate him. Employee #1 was declared missing and rescue attempts were begun. The body of Employee #1 was recovered at approximately 9:40 p.m. on December 13, 1990, after the bin had been sufficiently emptied to allow rescuers to enter and recover the body.