Worker burned at Minn. Crystal Sugar factory

Officials are saying little about an accident that seriously burned a worker at the American Crystal Sugar Co. plant in East Grand Forks last week.

A Crystal Sugar spokesman says the man "came into contact with lot liquid and was burned," and that the Moorhead-based sugar beet processor is investigating.

But since the man is a replacement worker — working under contract during Crystal Sugar's lockout of union members — the company can't say much about the accident.

The Grand Forks Herald was referred to the man's employer, Strom Engineering Corp. in Minnetonka. But Strom's national safety manager declined to comment to the Herald.

The Crystal Sugar lockout began on Aug. 1, 2011, and affected about 1,300 workers at plants in North Dakota, Minnesota and Iowa.