OSHA Urges Grain Handling Industry to Be Vigilant Amid Recent Tragedies
The agency has offered assistance on the safety and health hazards that present themselves this time of year.
OSHA is urging grain industry employers and workers to implement safety and health programs that include procedures for controlling hazardous energy, safe bin entry, and housekeeping to avoid additional tragedies.
The agency's Grain Handling Industry Local Emphasis Program focuses on the grain industry's six biggest hazards: engulfment, falls, auger entanglement, struck by, combustible dust explosions, and electrocution hazards.
"Far too many preventable incidents continue to occur in the grain-handling industry," said Kim Stille, OSHA's regional administrator in Kansas City. "Every employee working in the grain industry must be trained on grain-handling hazards and given the tools to ensure they do not enter a bin or silo without required safety equipment. They must also take all necessary precautions - this includes using lifelines, testing the atmosphere inside a bin and turning off and locking out all powered equipment to prevent restarting before entering grain storage structures."
Six investigations have been opened by OSHA in 2016 related to grain industry hazards.