Safety measures born from tragedy

CALEDONIA, Minn. — Brothers Matt and Karl Hendel always wanted to dairy farm together.

“We grew up farming together in the sandbox and we never quit,” Matt Hendel said. “Farming together, we took our own areas and that was pretty good gig for both of us because we always had (each other’s) back.”

The Hendels started farming together in 1991. Last fall their partnership came to an end when Karl passed away in a farming accident. In the aftermath, Hendel has been implementing safety protocols and changes across the operation to protect from a tragedy again.

Hendel and his wife, Pam, and daughter, Lauren, milk 400 Holstein and 30 Brown Swiss cows and farm about 1,000 acres near Caledonia.

On Sept. 7, 2024, the Hendel farm crew finished covering a bunker in the evening. Before going home, Karl went back to the bunker to check on something.

The next morning, when Hendel arrived at the farm, he saw Karl’s pickup still at the farm.

“In 34 years … he’s never slept over at the farm,” Matt said. “I thought, ‘Ooo, that isn’t good.’”

That morning, they found Karl had passed away next to an 8.5-foot-tall bunker, which he had fallen off backwards.

After the accident, Hendel said everyone stepped up to take more responsibility to cover Karl’s work. Hendel Farms has 10 full-time and six part-time employees, many of whom have been with the farm for years.

“It’s a team deal here,” Hendel said. “I don’t really feel like a boss, I’m just part of the team.”

The day after the accident, the Minnesota Occupational Safety and Health Administration began a compliance investigation. Matt said he was initially concerned about what the process and fines would be.

However, his experience with Minnesota OSHA changed his perspective.

“These folks care about people, that’s why they do this job,” Hendel said. “They’re not there to fine you. They’re there to help mitigate risks. … They weren’t out to punish me for any mistakes we made. They were out to help make sure it doesn’t happen again.”

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the occupational category that farming is part of is the most dangerous category, with 24.5 fatalities per 100,000 workers. By comparison, the overall fatality rate across all industries is 3.5 fatalities per 100,000 workers.

Minnesota operates its own OSHA program using a grant from the federal government. Any farm with more than 10 employees in Minnesota is required to know and be in compliance with Minnesota OSHA regulations.

“It’s like taxes, you’re obligated,” Hendel said. “You need to follow the rules.”

Michelle Smith, a Minnesota OSHA workplace safety consultant, agreed.

“The employer has to do their homework,” she said. “It’s the farm’s responsibility to make sure that its employees are protected.”

Together with Minnesota OSHA, Hendel created a workplace accident and injury reduction plan. Much of the safety measures revolve around the bunker setup.

“(Minnesota OSHA) people were really helpful,” Hendel said. “They had some good ideas to make it safer, because, obviously, you don’t ever want to have something like that happen again.”

Hendel will no longer be filling the bunkers all the way to the top. He will leave a 1-foot lip so workers cannot slip off in slick conditions.

To compensate for the lost space, Hendel will increase the length of his bunkers from 200 feet to 240 feet. He also will build one more bunker to bring his total to seven.

Not only will the new setup be safer, Hendel said he will have better quality feed. Previously the edges of the bunker were not packed as tightly because they could not get a tractor that close to the edge. He also said a shorter, better-packed bunker will make the face more stable.

When workers are on top of the bunker, they will park a wagon or put bales along the edge of the bunker to shorten a potential fall. They also will use a temporary rope rail system on the edge of the bunker.

Hendel is purchasing a front-end loader, which will have more reach and visibility than a skid loader to work in the bunker area.

Hendel and his brother had taken out life insurance on each other, and this has helped Hendel pay for safety improvements.

“I’ve spent a lot of money to mitigate some of these things, but it’s super important for the safety of everyone,” he said.

Hendel said he encourages farmers to have a will.

“(If) you don’t have a will, then you don’t really know what’s out there,” he said. “Things can be made much easier if you have somebody with good knowledge of the estate laws beforehand to go over things, so if something were to happen to somebody, you can transition more smoothly.”

Through the whole process, Hendel has become comfortable working with Minnesota OSHA.

“I feel like I could call them any time and ask them a question,” Hendel said. “They’re not going to try to ruin my business. They’re just trying to help.”

Minnesota OSHA has two branches: the compliance division as well as the Minnesota OSHA Workplace Safety Consultation. This second branch, which Smith works for, does free visits at farms to help them determine safety hazards.

“Their mission is to save lives, prevent injury and protect the health of workers,” Smith said. “Protecting employees results in employees going home in the same condition as they reported to work.”

Minnesota OSHA Workplace Safety Consultation does not write citations or give penalties. Information about their visits is confidential and they work independently from the compliance branch of Minnesota OSHA.

“The only thing that we require is that any serious hazards that are identified on site get fixed within an agreed-upon period,” Smith said.

Smith said common safety concerns farmers should educate their employees on include confined space entry, such as manure pits and grain bins, safety guards on machinery, lockout/tagout on equipment, electrical standards, fall protection for anything over 4 feet in height and hazardous chemicals.

Hendel has now implemented monthly safety meetings and goals.

“It just makes me feel better that I’m preventing another tragedy from happening,” Hendel said.