Mill that exploded was reprimanded

1 dead, 2 missing at Wisconsin corn mill following the blast.

A Wisconsin corn mill that exploded late Wednesday night was reprimanded by federal safety inspectors six years ago for not taking precautions against dust explosions, which are a major hazard in handling grain, records show.

The blast at the Didion Milling Plant in Cambria left at least one person dead. Emergency workers were still searching for two employees later Thursday. Nearly a dozen other employees were taken to area hospitals. None of the workers had been identified.

The cause of the blast remained unknown, Didion officials said. U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration investigators were on the scene.

“The safety and security of our employees is our top priority,” Didion Vice President of Operations Derrick Clark said in a news release. “Over the past 44 years, the Didion team has grown to be a close-knit family, and we ask for your prayers during this difficult time.”

The plant processes corn for ethanol and other uses. A review of online OSHA records shows the plant was cited in January 2011 for exposing its workers to dust explosion hazards. The records said plant filters lacked an explosion protective system.

The agency ordered the mill to correct the problem by April 2011. The records show Didion paid a $3,465 fine and the case was closed in September 2013. OSHA hasn’t cited the plant for anything since, the records show.

Dust explosions are a serious problem in handling grain, according to the U.S. Agriculture Department. There were five grain dust explosions in the United States last year and two resulted in fatalities, Purdue University said in an annual report. Keeping facilities clean of dust and maintaining equipment in good working order to reduce the possibility of igniting the dust are critical to preventing explosions, the report said.

Dust explosions can occur when high concentrations of dust particles are suspended in the air in a confined space during grain handling and a spark ignites it, according to the USDA’s website.

Nearly two dozen fire departments and four police departments responded to the Didion blast.

Columbia County Sheriff Dennis Richards said 16 people were in the plant at the time of the explosion. In addition to the worker who died, two were treated for injuries and released. Eleven more were taken to area hospitals via ambulance and helicopter. Recovery crews were still searching a mountain of debris Thursday for the two missing workers.

WISN-TV VIA ASSOCIATED PRESS Portions of Didion Milling Plant were filled with rubble Thursday in Cambria, Wis., after an explosion late Wednesday night at the site about 80 miles northwest of Milwaukee. The cause of the blast remained unknown, Didion officials said.