Inspection Detail

Inspection: 1109591.015 - Merivic, Inc.

Inspection Information - Office: Peoria Area Office

Investigation Summary

At approximately 8:00 a.m. on November 30, 2015, a 39 year old male was was working inside of a horizontal grain dryer performing demolition work on the dryer. The dryer was approximately thirty feet long, approximately twenty feet tall and ten feet above the ground. A portion of the dryer had been demolished by a previous contractor prior to Mervic, Inc. starting their demolition work on the same dryer. Merivic, Inc. had been working at the facility for approximately three months prior to the date of the accident. The employee involved in the fatal accident had worked for the Merivic, Inc. for two months and had performed demolition work since he started. At the time of the accident the top of the dryer had been completely removed leaving walls and floor in the shape of the letter U. Prior to the accident the employee had cut a portion of one the inside wall using a cutting torch. When he completed the horizontal cut on the inner shell wall of the dryer, the portion of the wall directly above his cut became unstable. That portion of the inner shell wall collapsed and fell on top of the employee. That section of the shell wall that fell on the employee was approximately twenty eight (28) feet long, four (4) feet tall, weighing approximately 3,000 pounds. There were four other employees working in the area at the time of the accident, but none of them observed the accident take place.

Keywords: Crushed, Demolition, Grain Bin