The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has cited Strauss Feeds LLC, an animal food producer in Watertown, Wisconsin, for exposing employees to risks of explosions, fires, and long-term respiratory illnesses due to excessive airborne dust. The citation follows an OSHA inspection in February 2024, initiated after the agency received complaints about unsafe working conditions at the facility.
OSHA inspectors identified a total of 24 safety and health violations, including 19 serious and five other-than-serious offenses. The violations stemmed from poor housekeeping practices that led to significant accumulations of combustible dust, failure to evaluate workspaces for dust hazards, and the absence of engineering controls to reduce dust levels. Additionally, the company lacked a written respiratory protection program, which should include medical evaluations, fit-testing, monitoring, and training for workers to recognize and handle dust hazards.
"Unsafe levels of airborne dust can ignite suddenly, causing explosions and fires that jeopardize the safety of workers. Left unchecked, these same dust hazards can cause workers long-term health issues," said OSHA Area Director Chad Greenwood in Madison, Wisconsin. "Companies that manufacture products that create excessive dust particles must use engineering systems and highly effective respiratory protection programs to protect employees from harm."
The inspection also revealed that employees were exposed to additional hazards, including unsafe walking and working surfaces, fall risks, confined spaces without proper evaluation, and the operation of industrial trucks and forklifts amid combustible dust conditions—all of which heightened the potential for fire and explosion incidents.
OSHA has proposed penalties totaling $161,332 against Strauss Feeds for the identified violations. The company has a set period to comply, request an informal conference with OSHA's area director, or contest the findings before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.
Founded in 1875 as a small, water-powered mill on a farm in North Manchester, Indiana, Strauss Feeds has grown into a producer of milk replacer for calves and other young animals. The company remains family-owned and is now operated by the sixth generation.
