OSHA Inspection: MENNEL MILLING COMPANY

Issued

Mar 24, 2026

Abate by

May 15, 2026

Penalty

Initial $14,188 · Current $7,094 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.146(c)(2): The employer did not inform exposed employees, by posting danger signs or by any other equally effective means, of the existence and location of and the danger posed by the permit spaces:  The Mennel Milling Company located at 320 Findlay Street in Fostoria, Ohio:   On or about December 27, 2025, the employer did not ensure employees were informed of the existence, location of, and the danger posed by permit spaces by posting danger signs or equally effective means. Employees were exposed to hazards associated with permit required confined spaces such as, but not limited to, combustible dust, atmospheric hazards, and laceration hazards in that the Kice Industries Venturi-Jet Filter (Model: VR45-8N, Serial: 360431-7) located in the Self-Rise Area was not labeled as a permit required confined space.

Issued

Mar 24, 2026

Abate by

May 15, 2026

Penalty

Initial $14,188 · Current $7,094 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.146(d)(2): Under the permit-required confined space program required by 29 CFR 1910.146(c)(4), the employer did not identify and evaluate the hazards of permit spaces before employees entered:  The Mennel Milling Company located at 320 Findlay Street in Fostoria, Ohio:   On or about December 27, 2025, the employer did not identify and evaluate the hazards of permit spaces before employees enter them. Employees were exposed to hazards associated with permit required confined spaces such as, but not limited to, combustible dust, atmospheric, and lacerations in that the IPD Explosion Suppression and Chemical Isolation System  installed on the Kice Industries Venturi-Jet Filter (Model: VR45-8N, Serial: 360431-7) was not identified as a hazard prior to employees entering the filter to perform cleaning and sanitization tasks.

Issued

Mar 24, 2026

Abate by

May 15, 2026

Penalty

Initial $14,188 · Current $7,094 Reduced

Hazardous substances G109

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.146(d)(5)(i): Under the permit-required confined space program required by 29 CFR 1910.146(c)(4), the employer did not evaluate permit space conditions when entry operations were conducted by testing conditions in the permit space to determine  if acceptable entry conditions exist before entry is authorized to begin:  The Mennel Milling Company located at 320 Findlay Street in Fostoria, Ohio  On or about December 27, 2025, the employer did not test the conditions within the space to determine if acceptable conditions exist prior to authorizing entry. Employees were exposed to atmospheric hazards associated with combustible dust and grain dust (wheat) such as, but not limited to, fire, explosion, irritation to the eyes, skins, and upper respiratory system, and pulmonary disease in that the internal atmosphere of the Venturi-Jet Filter (Model: VR45-8N, Serial: 360431-7) was not tested prior to entry for cleaning and sanitizing tasks.

Issued

Mar 24, 2026

Abate by

May 15, 2026

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

Hazardous substances G109

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.146(d)(5)(ii): Under the permit-required confined space program required by 29 CFR 1910.146(c)(4), the employer did not evaluate permit space conditions when entry operations were conducted by testing or monitoring the permit space as necessary:  The Mennel Milling Company located at 320 Findlay Street in Fostoria, Ohio  On or about December 27, 2025, the employer did not test or monitor the permit space to ensure acceptable entry conditions were maintained through the course of the entry operation. Employees were exposed to atmospheric hazards associated with combustible dust and grain dust (wheat) such as, but not limited to, fire, explosion, irritation to the eyes, skins, and upper respiratory system, and pulmonary disease in that the internal atmosphere of the Venturi-Jet Filter (Model: VR45-8N, Serial: 360431-7) was not tested prior to entry for cleaning and sanitizing tasks.

Issued

Mar 24, 2026

Abate by

Jul 23, 2026

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

Hazardous substances G109

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.134(d)(1)(iii): The employer did not identify and evaluate the respiratory hazard(s) in the workplace; including a reasonable estimate of employee exposures to respiratory hazards and identification of the contaminant's chemical state and physical form:  The Mennel Milling Company located at 320 Findlay Street in Fostoria, Ohio  On or about December 27, 2025, the employer did not evaluate the respiratory hazards to estimate employee exposures. Employees were exposed to hazards associated with grain dust (wheat) such as, but not limited to irritation to the eyes, skins, and upper respiratory system, and pulmonary disease when cleaning and sanitizing the Kice Venturi-Jet Filter (Model:VR458N Serial: 360431-7).

Issued

Mar 24, 2026

Abate by

May 15, 2026

Penalty

Initial $14,188 · Current $7,094 Reduced

Hazardous substances G109

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.146(j)(2): The employer did not ensure that each entry supervisor verified, by checking that the appropriate entries had been made on the permit, that all tests specified by the permit had been conducted and that all procedures and equipment specified by the permit are in place before endorsing the permit and allowing entry to begin   The Mennel Milling Company located at 320 Findlay Street in Fostoria, Ohio  On or about December 27, 2025, the employer did not ensure the entry supervisor verified that all tests specified by the confined space entry permit had been conducted, and that all procedures and equipment were in place before allowing entry into the permit space. Employees were exposed to hazards associated with the permit required confined space such as, but not limited to, combustible dust, atmospheric hazards, and lacerations  in that the entry supervisor did not perform prior to entry atmospheric testing, nor verified that lock out tag out procedures and equipment were successfully applied prior to allowing employees to enter the Kice Industries Venturi-Jet Filter (Model: VR45-8N, Serial: 360431-7) located in the Self-Rise Area to perform cleaning and sanitizing tasks.

Issued

Mar 24, 2026

Abate by

May 15, 2026

Penalty

Initial $14,188 · Current $7,094 Reduced

Hazardous substances G109

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.147(c)(4)(ii): Procedures did not clearly and specifically outline the scope, purpose, authorization, rules, and techniques to be utilized for the control of hazardous energy, and the means to enforce compliance including, but not limited to, 29 CFR 1910.147(c)(4)(ii)(A), (c)(4)(ii)(B), (c)(4)(ii)(C) and (c)(4)(ii)(D):   a) The Mennel Milling Company located at 320 Findlay Street in Fostoria, Ohio  On or about December 27, 2025, the employer did not ensure that energy control procedures for the Kice Industries Venturi-Jet Filter (Model: VR45-8N, Serial: 360431-7) identified the specific steps to render the hazardous electrical and pneumatic energy sources safe. Without the development and utilization of these procedures, employee(s) engaged in tasks such as, but not limited to, removing and replacing filter socks, brushing down the interior walls, and vacuuming out residual dust were exposed to combustible dust, atmospheric hazards, and laceration hazards in associated with the conveying of grain dust (wheat) within a dust collection system equipped with a explosion suppression and chemical isolation system.

Issued

Mar 24, 2026

Abate by

May 15, 2026

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

Hazardous substances G109

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.147(d): The established procedure for the application of energy control (the lockout or tagout procedures) did not cover the actions listed in and was not done in sequence as required by 29 CFR 1910.147(d)(1)-(6):  a) The Mennel Milling Company located at 320 Findlay Street in Fostoria, Ohio  On or about December 27, 2025, employees were exposed to hazards associated with combustible dust, atmospheric hazards, and laceration hazards within a dust collection system equipped with explosion prevention when entering the Kice Industries Venturi-Jet Filter (Model: VR45-8N, Serial: 360431-7) for tasks including removing and replacing filter socks, brushing down the interior walls, and vacuuming out residual dust. The employer did not ensure that energy control application steps were implemented to control the equipment's electrical and pneumatic energy sources prior to the servicing tasks - the employer did not:  ?	Ensure that equipment was turned off or shut down. ?	Physically operate energy isolating devices to control energy sources and affix lockout device(s). ?	Ensure that all potentially hazardous stored or residual energy was relieved, disconnected, and rendered safe. ?	Verify that isolation and de-energization of the machine or equipment had been accomplished.

Issued

Mar 24, 2026

Abate by

May 15, 2026

Penalty

Initial $14,188 · Current $7,094 Reduced

Hazardous substances G109

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.147(c)(7)(i)(A): Authorized employee(s) did not receive training in the recognition of applicable hazardous energy sources, the type and magnitude of the energy available in the workplace, and the methods and means necessary for energy isolation and control:  The Mennel Milling Company located at 320 Findlay Street in Fostoria, Ohio  On or about December 27, 2025, the employer did not ensure that employees performing lock out tag out activities on energized equipment such as but not limited to the Kice Industries Venturi-Jet Filter (Model: VR45-8N, Serial: 360431-7) were provided with adequate lock out tag out training. Employees entering the Venturing-Jet Filter to perform tasks such as, but not limited to, removing and replacing filter socks, brushing down internal walls, vacuuming out residual dust were exposed to combustible dust, airborne particulate, and laceration hazards associated with the conveying of grain dust (wheat) within a dust collection system with a explosion suppression and chemical isolation system.