OSHA Issues Grain Handling Safety Reminder

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has been forced to reiterate the policies outlined in their Grain Handling Facilities standard, due to a rash of recent injuries and fatalities in the industry.  The reminder serves to draw attention to section 1910.272 of the standard[2], which outlines a comprehensive safety policy that can help to save lives and prevent the type of accidents which have recently grabbed headlines.

There are several ways that working with grain can make for dangerous conditions, and the hazards are not limited to the agricultural sector.  Transportation and grain storage activities are also implicated in a significant portion of the accidents listed as occurring each year.  The leading causes of death related to grain handling are threefold: falls in silos, at storage facilities or while moving through grain containers themselves, suffocation as a result of sinking into containers of loose grain or being smothered by falling grain, and becoming entangled in the machinery that is used in grain processing.  Additional hazards faced by workers exposed to grain include fire and the risk of dust explosions.

Fortunately, there are simple steps that risk managers can take to reduce the chance that these tragedies will occur.  Preventing workers from walking through grain containers piled higher than their waists can help to reduce the chance of asphyxiation as the result of being pulled under by the effects of unstable bridging or the swirling action of a bottom-emptying container.  This also includes not allowing workers to enter into bins they may believe to be empty or bins which may feature a portion of piled and stuck grain.  The installation of railings and the clearing of staircases and ladders of any loose grain particles can have a positive effect on the rate of falls in the workplace, and the instigation of strict policies concerning machine servicing and use of guards over exposed machine components can reduce the chances of fatal entanglement.

When it comes to fires and explosions, all employees working at a grain storage or processing facility are required to be familiar with an emergency action plan which is specifically put together to prevent and handle any fire-related incidents that could occur.  The plan must also provide for dust management in order to prevent accumulation which could ignite in the confined spaces of the facility itself.

Employees should be also be educated as to the risks posed by modern silos which have been designed so as to limit the amount of oxygen which enters them.  If these silos are not sealed properly, or if seals have not been maintained, then their compromised airtight construction can lead to a situation where a fire can burn at a low level, unnoticed until a door is opened or additional oxygen is introduced in a rush.  The resulting explosion or fire can be quite severe.  If employees suspect that a silo is damaged, or that a silo’s contents may be smoldering, they should not attempt to access the silo or douse the blaze themselves.  Instead, they should await professional firefighters in order to prevent increasing oxygen flow to a potentially lethal level.