Syngenta Thrive - 4Q/2013 - 27

Watch video on grain bin entrapment incident.

GRAIN BIN SAFETY TIPS

1

Never enter a bin when the
grain is waist deep or higher.

2

Use a body harness and
lifeline/boatswain’s chair.

3

Check bin atmosphere for
oxygen content, combustible
gases and toxic agents.

4

Provide adequate lighting in
the bin area.

5

Be sure the person entering
the bin is trained in safe
entry procedures.

6

Lock out and tag out all energy
sources before entering a bin.

7

Have at least two personnel
on standby to assist in an
emergency, with one of those
people outside the bin in
constant communication with
the person entering the bin.

1

2

3

7
4

5

6

ILLUSTRATION: TODD DETWILER

He emphasizes that no one should ever enter a bin with a
sweep augur running; following lock-out/tag-out procedures helps
ensure that doesn’t happen.
“Shut off the circuit breaker for the auger, put a lock on the top
of it, and attach a tag with your name, the date and time,” explains
Dan Neenan, director of the National Education Center for
Agricultural Safety (NECAS). “Only you can remove it.” Lock-out
kits cost about $35.
Air monitoring is another important safety precaution. “An
employee entering a bin should clip the monitoring device to his
or her harness so it goes with the employee down where the air
could be dangerous,” Neenan says.
Focusing on Training
Entering a grain bin with the auger running is just one of the
reasons that entrapments happen. Bridging and crusting grain are
two more potential causes of disasters: A person goes in to knock
down grain crusted on the bin’s side and causes an avalanche, or
he falls into a void when a grain bridge—a hard, crusty surface
formed by moldy or frozen grain—collapses. A fourth cause is a
more recent development: texting and using a grain vacuum.
“Workers stick the hose at their feet while they answer a text,
and it sucks the grain out from under their feet,” Neenan says.
For the times when someone must enter a bin, NECAS has
developed training for the proper procedures. Businesses that
pay for their trainers’ travel expenses can receive that instruction
free, Neenan says.

RESOURCE DIRECTORY

It’s not just employees who need training in rescues. Making
sure the local ﬁre department is trained properly is also critical,
Stigge says. Because every facility—and even every bin—presents
a different scenario for rescuers, it’s a good idea to have all
potential rescue
workers familiar with
the speciﬁcs.
“‘It can’t happen to
Since 2010, the
me’—we’ve got to
Occupational Safety
end that thinking.”
and Health Administra—DAN NEENAN
tion (OSHA) has taken
a harder line on grain
bin safety violations,
increasing enforcement and ﬁnes. But the majority of grain bin
accidents happen on OSHA-exempt facilities, such as family farms.
Now the level of awareness and education is starting to increase
there, too, Neenan says, which is crucial to preventing accidents.
“‘It can’t happen to me’—we’ve got to end that thinking,”
Neenan says. “The wrong decision could end your life.”
STORY BY SUZANNE BOPP

FOR MORE INFORMATION on grain bin safety, visit these
websites:
> National Ag Safety Database
> The National Education Center for Agricultural Safety
> Occupational Safety and Health Administration

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