Two 17-year-old boys working at Zaloudek Grain Company in Kremlin, OK, sustained serious leg injuries and remain in critical condition after an accident involving a grain auger. The teenagers are high school seniors from different schools, both on the honor roll and active in sports; one attends Kremlin-Hillsdale High School and the other goes to Chisholm High School.
Emergency responders received a frantic 911 call the morning of August 4 from a representative at Zaloudek, according to the report, stating that there was a “kid in an auger.” A grain auger is an industrial metal platform system used to move grain from the ground to higher levels in the factory or to trucks. Emergency personnel from the Kremlin Fire Department were the first to arrive and were supported by neighboring departments to rescue the teenagers. Among the officials who provided service at the scene were members of the Hillsdale-Carrier, Enid, Breckinridge, Hunter, and Pond Creek fire departments, Garfield County Sheriff’s Office, Life EMS, Garfield County Emergency Management office, and EagleMed.
Rescue professionals were forced to cut through the auger before they could free the victims from the steel apparatus, said the Kremlin Fire Chief. The boys were pried free more than one hour after the 911 call and taken by helicopter to OU Medical Center, where they both received surgery for severe leg injuries.
Online Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OHSA) records show no previous violations for Zaloudek Grain Co. A spokesperson for OSHA said the administration has started investigating the accident, according to reporting on NewsOK, but cannot disclose details until the examination is finished. The OSHA representative said the agency has up to six months to complete its investigation.
If you or a family member has been injured in a work accident due to negligence, call 1-888-226-6159 to contact the Oklahoma City workers’ compensation attorneys at The Maples Law Firm for assistance and a free consultation.
