OSHA releases grain industry employee safety practices

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The Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) has released new safety guidelines to protect grain industry workers. The grain industry continues to remain a dangerous field, as employees have been crushed or suffocated while working. In 2021, 38% of reported grain engulfments turned deadly because required safeguards were not followed.

To help grain industry employers, OSHA announced the following guidelines for grain safety, including:

Turning off/locking out equipment before entering a bin or performing maintenance.
Never walking down grain to make it flow.
Testing the air in the bin before entering.
Using a safety harness and anchored lifeline.
Placing a trained observer outside of the bin in case of an emergency.
Not entering a bin where grain is built up on the side.
Controlling the accumulation of grain dust through housekeeping.

OSHA's Grain Handling Safety Standards focus on the grain and feed industry's six major hazards: engulfment, falls, auger entanglement, "struck by," combustible dust explosions and electrocution hazard.

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