Class Code 2014
Grain Or Rice Milling; Feed Mfg
Class Code 2014 applies to businesses that perform grain or rice milling and manufacture animal feed. This classification covers milling operations, hulling, polishing, feed pelleting and related housekeeping and maintenance tasks. The September 1, 2026 pure premium rate for California is $5.734 per $100 of payroll — a key figure for estimating workers' comp exposure.
What Class Code 2014 Covers
This class covers fixed-location milling operations that convert raw grain or rice into flour, polished rice or processed feed, including cleaning, tempering, grinding, milling, hulling, polishing, sieving, blending, pelleting/extruding, bagging and bulk loading. It includes feed mixing and manufacture where grains are milled, combined with supplements, pelleted and packaged. Covered employees work around conveyors, hammer mills, roller mills, pellet mills, sifters, dust collectors, grain dryers and storage silos. Routine plant maintenance, housekeeping of dust, equipment lubrication, and confined-space entry into silos or bins for inspection are also part of the operations typically classified here. Activities limited to simple grain handling (pure elevator operations, on-farm handling) may be classified differently; classification depends on the employer's primary operations.
Who It Applies To
- Commercial flour mills and rice mills
- Animal feed manufacturers and pelleting plants
- Integrated grain-processing facilities with milling and packaging
- Mill operators, maintenance mechanics, and millwrights
- Bagging/packaging attendants and bulk loading crews
Common Job Duties
- Operating roller mills, hammer mills, pellet mills and sifters
- Feeding and adjusting conveyors, augers and elevators
- Mixing and blending ingredients for feed formulations
- Cleaning and maintaining dust collectors, cyclones and ductwork
- Bagging, palletizing and loading finished product for shipment
- Performing mechanical maintenance, bearing replacement and confined-space entry for silos
Common Injury Risks
Understanding the $5.734 Rate
The pure premium rate of $5.734 per $100 of payroll represents the portion of premium intended to cover expected claim costs (medical and indemnity) before insurer expenses and adjustments. To estimate pure premium, divide total payroll by 100 and multiply by 5.734; insurers then add expense loads, apply your experience modification, and consider policy options, deductibles or retrospective rating to determine the final premium. Factors that change your effective premium include your loss history, payroll mix across classifications, accuracy of class codes, safety programs, and loss-prevention investments.
Cal/OSHA Compliance Requirements
Cal/OSHA requires mills and feed manufacturers to follow Title 8 protections covering machine guarding, lockout/tagout, respiratory protection, hearing conservation, hazard communication for fumigants and preservatives, and permit-required confined space procedures for silos and bins. Employers must control combustible dust through housekeeping, dust collection systems and explosion mitigation measures and maintain records and training to meet Cal/OSHA enforcement during inspections.
How Key HR Helps Employers Under Class Code 2014
A PEO like Key HR helps employers in this class reduce workers' comp costs by ensuring correct payroll classification, implementing targeted safety programs (dust control, confined-space procedures, lockout/tagout and respiratory programs), and managing claims and return-to-work plans to limit indemnity exposure. Key HR can also coordinate OSHA-compliant training, fit testing, safety audits, and experience-modification improvement strategies to lower long-term premiums.
Get a QuoteFrequently Asked Questions
How do I know if my operation belongs in Class Code 2014 or a different grain-related code?
Class Code 2014 applies when the employer's primary operation is milling grain or rice or manufacturing feed (milling, grinding, pelleting, bagging). Pure storage or elevator-only operations, on-farm handling, or transportation-related activities may fall under different codes. Provide your insurer or PEO with detailed descriptions of processes and payroll distribution so they can assign the correct classification and avoid premium misallocation.
What are the most effective steps to lower workers' comp costs for a mill or feed plant?
Prioritize combustible-dust housekeeping and dust-collection maintenance, implement machine guarding and lockout/tagout, run a formal confined-space program for silos, enforce respiratory and hearing protection, and establish a proactive light-duty return-to-work plan. Reducing frequency and severity of claims improves your experience modification and directly lowers premiums over time.
Does using fumigants or pesticides in storage areas change my compliance or classification?
Use of fumigants and pesticides triggers additional Cal/OSHA requirements for hazard communication, training, and respiratory protection; it can increase claim severity risk if exposures occur. Classification typically remains under the milling/feed code if fumigation is ancillary to processing, but you should document these tasks and controls so your carrier or PEO can account for the exposure in risk management and premium calculations.
Quick Facts
- Class Code
- 2014
- Classification
- Grain Or Rice Milling; Feed Mfg
- Pure Premium Rate
- $5.734 / $100 payroll
- Effective Date
- September 1, 2026
- Source
- WCIRB Approved Filing
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