Wisconsin Man Dies in Ethanol Grain Silo Mishap

April 21--The industrial accident at United Ethanol grain silo that killed a 27-year-old Janesville man was the first significant industrial accident to occur at the plant, City of Milton police said Sunday.

After more than 12 hours of searching at a United Ethanol grain silo in Milton, rescue efforts came to an end when the body of Jerad Guell, 27, of Janesville was found at 11:11 p.m. Friday.

Guell was reported missing about 10:20 a.m. at the plant, 1250 Chicago St. Sixteen fire departments, City of Milton police, Rock County Sheriff's Office and more than 100 public safety personnel attempted to rescue Guell, Milton police Lt. John Conger said.

"There was another employee in the vicinity when it happened, and that's how he was discovered missing. The employee was trying to get in contact with (Guell) and he was not answering his radio," Conger said.

There were 140,000 bushels of corn in the silo during the accident, less than one-quarter of the silo's capacity of 680,000 bushels of corn.

Guell is a seven-year employee of United Ethanol and leaves behind a wife and young son, Conger said.

"We have not had any significant industrial accidents there. They've been open about seven years. The only other issues we've had with that plant are odor issues," Conger said.

Milton police and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration continue to investigate. United Cooperative of Beaver Dam is the managing member of United Ethanol LLC, an ethanol facility that produces 2.8 gallons of ethanol, 18 pounds of distiller's grain and 18 pounds of carbon dioxide from one bushel of corn, according to the company's website.

United Ethanol does not appear to have any OSHA violations since it began operating in 2007, according to an online OSHA database.

A recent NPR investigation revealed that nearly 180 people have been killed in grain-related entrapments at federally regulated facilities since 1984, and although their employers were issued a total of $9.2 million in fines, those penalties were reduced overall by 59%.

In Wisconsin, grain silo accidents claimed lives in 1988, 1989 and 1996, according to OSHA data gathered by NPR.

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