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.
