Operator fined after Ohio grain bin death

MORRAL, Ohio (AP) — The operator of three grain bins in central Ohio has been fined $465,500 by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration after inspections stemming from the death of a worker.

The U.S. Labor Department says a 20-year-old worker died in September after being caught in a discharge device while cleaning a bin at the Gavilon Grain LLC site in Morral.

The government says inspections at the site and sites in Harpster and West Jefferson found 46 safety and health violations, including three willful violations, committed with knowledge of or disregard for the law or with indifference to worker safety.

Omaha, Neb.-based Gavilon says it is committed to maintaining a safe working environment for employees and has increased efforts to meet or exceed government safety standards, including the hiring of additional safety managers and increased training.