Nebraska Company Fined $84K for Worker’s Death

A Nebraska company faces an $84,000 fine in connection to the May death of a worker who fell while loading a tanker truck.

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration said Farmers Cooperative was being fined for violations at its McCool Junction fertilizer plant.

OSHA says Farmers Cooperative failed to implement safety measures that could’ve prevented the death of the 73-year-old employee.

Ron Velder, president and CEO of the co-op, says the order will be appealed but he declined to discuss OSHA’s findings.

The company was cited for failing to provide a standard guard rail in the fertilizer plant’s batching area. There were also violations for failing to provide fall protection for employees working on top of tanker trucks and failing to provide railing on stairways.