OSHA investigating Steward grain bin death: Agency looks into possible notification, safety infractions

STEWARD – Safety violations may have factored into a Rochelle man's death Friday in a grain bin.

Douglas E. Seaney, 37, of rural Rochelle, was pronounced dead at the scene after he fell into a bin at Herrmann Grain Farms in Steward, where he worked.

According to the Lee County Sheriff's Department and Rochelle fire investigators, Seaney wasn't wearing a safety harness and was walking alone inside the bin around a large mound of corn. Both violate federal safety regulations for grain processing facilities, according to Occupational Safety and Health Administration codes.

Also, OSHA investigators were unaware of Seaney's death until contacted Monday morning by Sauk Valley Newspapers. OSHA requires notification by employers within 8 hours of any workplace death or catastrophic injury.

Herrmann Grain Farms owner Kevin Herrmann, of Hinckley, declined to comment Monday.

Lee County Sheriff John Varga said Seaney's death is being treated as accidental.

It took Rochelle firefighters 2 hours to pull Seaney from under the corn.

"He was in there real deep," Rochelle Fire Chief Brian Johnson said. "We got word he was probably in there somewhere, so we started making holes in the bin trying to find him."

In large amounts, corn "acts like quicksand – the more you move, the faster it sucks you in," Johnson said. "Scary stuff."

Another employee apparently was in the bin, but left before Seaney disappeared, Varga said.

"It looks like the worker came back and [Seaney] was gone," Varga said.

Neither Varga nor Johnson could say whether the grain auger was running when Seaney died, or whether the second employee was wearing a safety harness.

An OSHA investigator from the agency's North Aurora office launched a death investigation Monday afternoon, said Scott Allen, an agency spokesman. The investigation must be complete within 6 months, Allen said.

Allen wouldn't say how much the company could be fined, or whether criminal charges could be filed. He did say failure to notify OSHA of a workplace death could result in "substantial" penalties.