At approximately 11:00 PM on May 31, 2017, explosion(s) at the Didion Milling (Didion) facility in Cambria, Wisconsin, resulted in 5 worker deaths and an additional 14 workers injured. Because the event occurred at night, only 19 employees were working within the facility at the time of the incident.

Shortly before the explosion(s) at Didion, workers saw or smelled smoke on the first floor of one of the mill buildings. In trying to find its source, workers focused on a piece of equipment called a gap mill. While inspecting the equipment, workers witnessed a filter connected to an air intake line for the mill blow off, resulting in corn dust filling the air, and flames shooting from the air intake line, followed by one or more explosions..

KEY ISSUES:
• DUST HAZARD AWARENESS
• DUST LEVEL PERCEPTION

Image credit: CSB