Fortunately, that wasn’t the case for a grain entrapment on Feb. 9 in east-central Alberta.

Chris Krushel, fire chief for the Edgerton Emergency Services Department, says a man had entered a grain bin to clean it when he became caught in the grain. Thankfully, another person was present to assist with the work and the auger was shut off. By then, though, the male victim was trapped up to his waist and unable to move.

“The initial responding department, Irma Fire Rescue, did not have the necessary equipment or training. So, we were brought in for additional assistance because they heard that we had just received our grain bin rescue training [through the BeGrainSafe program],” explains Krushel, adding that assistance was also received from Wainwright Fire and Rescue and the fire department from CFB Wainwright.

After an assessment to ensure the male victim was alert and breathing, Krushel says they set up a grain rescue tube around him and used an auger to remove grain near the individual. The man was then able to self-extricate and get down from the bin.

“It was really surprising that he was able to get down under his own power. We weren’t expecting that but it was certainly positive to see,” says Krushel. “This was the first grain rescue we have been involved with, and it occurred right after we did the grain rescue training, so it was very fortunate that everything happened the way it did.”

While this particular grain rescue had a positive outcome, many do not. According to Canadian Agricultural Injury Reporting data, there were 27 fatalities due to asphyxiation from grain or soil on Canadian farms between 2011 and 2020.

Dan Marsellus is fire chief for Kneehill County in Alberta and a master trainer with the Canadian Agricultural Safety Association’s (CASA) BeGrainSafe program. He says that the training offered to firefighters through the BeGrainSafe program, which launched in 2017 due to increased grain entrapment fatalities, is invaluable for saving lives.

“Grain entrapments are high-risk, low-probability events, so knowing how to respond to the situation is essential,” explains Marsellus, who conducted the Edgerton Emergency Services Department’s BeGrainSafe training.

Krushel agrees, noting that the training was extremely beneficial for responding to the February grain entrapment.

“Without the training we would not have had the understanding of what to do and we wouldn’t know how to properly use the grain rescue equipment,” Krushel explains. “The BeGrainSafe training has tested and tried rescue procedures and because of that we knew how to approach the situation and the outcome was fantastic.”

At the core of the BeGrainSafe firefighter grain rescue training is a trailer outfitted with a built-in silo that can hold 7,000 pounds of grain. Positioned above the silo is a platform with a davit arm that can safely lower a person into the grain. Once entrapped, rescue demonstrators use grain rescue tubes in combination with an auger to remove grain from around the individual until they can be safely extracted from the grain.

While the training experience can be intimidating at first, particularly for those who have never been around grain, Marsellus says it also leaves participants with a new perspective and awareness for the risks associated with grain.

“Anyone who goes in the grain is stabilized the entire time and safe, but their eyes get very big when the floor disappears beneath them and they get that sinking feeling. Then they are basically cemented in place and cannot move,” explains Marsellus. “The training highlights the reality and severity of these situations and it really grounds people.”

Krushel adds, “We are in a rural community, but a lot of our department’s members aren’t farmers so this training is a real eye-opener for all that is involved with grain entrapments. Because there are a lot of things included that you wouldn’t even think about until you do this training.”

One significant takeaway for many who participate in the BeGrainSafe training is the realization of how grain flows and that it acts like quicksand, quickly pulling a person down.

“People often think you can swim in grain but you can’t because there is no buoyancy factor in grain. Grain moves very quickly and it is startling how quickly a person can disappear; they can be pulled in under the grain before they even have a chance to say the word ‘stop,’” Marsellus says.

“The grain puts so much force on a person that once the grain is at their hip level, it will literally pull the person in half if we even attempt to pull them out. With that much force, if someone is buried, you want to be as quick as possible to get them out.”

Of course, training participants aren’t the only ones with misunderstandings about grain. That’s why the BeGrainSafe program is not only committed to raising awareness about the hazards of grain and the gravity of entrapments among first responders, but also the general public.

“The best way to save lives is for grain safety to be a proactive issue on farms rather than a reactive issue. The more awareness we have, the more we can hopefully make people realize the need to take grain safety seriously and have those important conversations,” Marsellus says. “Because the moment someone is gone under the grain, it’s irreversible.”

As the Feb. 9 rescue demonstrates, having the right knowledge and equipment to respond to these incidents can make a tremendous difference. With more awareness and training, we can hopefully lessen the occurrence of tragic outcomes.

“You may not need to use this training often, and hopefully you don’t,” says Marsellus. “But when responding to a grain entrapment event, it can make all the difference.”

More information about CASA’s BeGrainSafe program is available online.

The post Successful grain rescue shows value of training, awareness appeared first on Grainews.

The same holds true for on-farm grain storage, says Derek Johnson, regional sales director for AGI, one of the largest manufacturers of grain bins in Canada. He says planning for grain storage helps ensure the crop’s quality is properly preserved until it reaches buyers.

“When it comes to storage, next year starts now,” Johnson says. “We want to ensure that producers understand that, as a manufacturer, we’re manufacturing and building bins today that are going to be assembled on farms next summer.

“Producers should begin the planning process now so that they’re not waiting until the last minute for storage. It’s not like buying seed or chemical. Storage is a long-term investment and it needs to be treated as such. It involves a plan and that planning needs to start early.”

Digvir Jayas agrees. He is a professor emeritus of biosystems engineering at the University of Manitoba who was recognized by Engineers Canada in 2022 with a gold medal for his work on finding better ways to dry and store grain.

Jayas says keeping grain in the best condition possible during storage season is critically important as it can have a huge impact on a farmer’s marketing efforts.

“If you don’t store it properly and you have that deterioration, the market to sell that grain is reduced,” says Jayas, who is also a member of the Canadian Agricultural Hall of Fame.

“The market is reduced to sell that grain because it can’t be used for the kind of products that (higher-grade) grain would be able to make or it would require a process adjustment or blending from other sources of grains, and it becomes more difficult to sell.

“If you store it properly, it’s much easier to market because your product is top-notch quality.”

Grainews asked Jayas and Johnston for grain storage tips. Here’s what they had to say.

Cool and dry

A key consideration is ensuring grain is kept cool and dry. Moisture content levels should not exceed 13 per cent for wheat or 12.5 per cent for barley during warmer-season months.

Storage temperatures should not typically exceed 20 C. Safe storage condition charts for most cereal crops are available via the Canadian Grain Commission.

Jayas says keeping stored grain cool is important because it “greatly increases the storage life of the grain and (helps) maintain quality longer” while reducing the chance of insect and mould problems.

A bin aeration fan can help in this effort. Jayas advises farmers to ensure the fan is properly sized for the bin in which it is installed. If capacity is too low, it may not dry the grain in the time available in the fall. He says fan size should be based on initial moisture content at harvest and the date of the harvest.

Johnson advises farmers to schedule regular monitoring of grain in bins and make it part of someone’s role on the farm.

That job has become much easier over the past decade, thanks to monitoring systems that can detect temperature and moisture levels within a bin. They send alerts to a computer or mobile device when warming or spoilage occurs and a fan can then be started remotely.

Most monitoring systems use cables that are inserted into grain and send feedback on what’s occurring during storage. Jayas recommends as many as five of these cables should be used within a bin — one in the centre and others in east-west and north-south directions between the centre and wall of the bin. This ensures all sections are properly monitored.

Farmers have a few options if they receive a spoilage warning from a monitoring system. They can turn on the fan to lower grain temperature and maintain it at a lower temperature until the problem is taken care of. If the problem appears to be in the centre of the bin, it may be resolved by removing that portion of the grain.

While monitors are standard in most newer large-capacity bins, many older, smaller bins don’t have sensors. Outside of physically checking each bin on a regular basis, Johnson recommends producers inspect the bin to see how much snow is on its roof in the winter.

“The old adage is, if there’s snow on the roof of the bin in the wintertime, you’re in a good spot,” he says. “Typically, if it’s warm in the bin and there is spoilage happening, it’s generating heat and it’s creating heat on the roof of the bin. If there was any snow, it would just melt off. If all the snow is melted off, you may want to check that bin.”

Insects

Temperatures in Western Canada are usually cool enough to kill insects that may find their way into storage bins during the winter. However, infestations can still occur the following year as temperatures climb in spring and summer.

In such a scenario, Jayas says farmers can use a chemical fumigant. Among the most common of those, phosphine can kill most pests within three to four days. He suggests farmers hire a licensed fumigator to apply it, since exposure can cause serious health complications.

Another option is compressed carbon dioxide in the form of dry ice or compressed gas, which can take seven to 10 days to kill insects.

Maintenance

Johnson says routine bin maintenance is often neglected or forgotten. A simple step is to remove potential hazards in and around grain bins early in the season so harvest can take place quickly and safely.

Aeration fans should also be regularly inspected and cleaned; rodents, small animals and insects can get into open units and create all sorts of problems. The same advice applies to grain dryers, especially if they’re not being used every year.

While grain augers are indispensable, they are often parked in fields for much of the year. Johnson recommends they be inspected before harvest each year to ensure they are greased, have motors in good working condition and belts properly tightened.

Bigger bins

Western Canada was once known as the hopper bin capital of the world, in part because so many different crops require segregation.

That has changed as farms have grown larger and now produce more bushels of the same crops. As a result, many farmers have moved to larger, flat-bottom storage structures. These newer bins measure 36 to 54 feet in diameter and have storage capacities of 25,000 to 72,000 bushels.

While these newer bins offer an assortment of bells and whistles, the general maintenance requirements are the same, according to Johnson. He says farmers should make it a priority to conduct periodic inspections of the rooftop area to confirm it is free of debris and operating properly, including the filler cap.

“We get a lot of wind in Western Canada and in some cases the wind can pull open those caps,” he says. “Farmers want to make sure they definitely take a look at the springs on their filler caps to ensure that they’re in good working order on those larger bins.”

Cleaning

Jayas and Johnson both stress the importance of cleaning bins before storing new grain.

Jayas says cleaning a storage structure is important because insects can survive in debris and leftover grain, then re-infest new grain.

Johnson says most newer flat-bottom bins are “fairly self-cleaning.” They often require only a quick sweep inside if they’re being used to store the same crop in consecutive years.

However, he says, they require more significant cleaning if they are being used to store a different crop from the one held previously. That’s especially true for seed growers, who should do a detailed cleaning inside.

Helpful advice

Johnson has one final piece of advice when it comes to grain storage: don’t be afraid to ask for help.

“Utilizing the support that’s out there is important. We have many folks in Western Canada on our AGI team that are experts when it comes to aeration and grain drying. Those people need to be leaned on for advice throughout the year. Reach out for help if you have questions.”

The post Grain upkeep begins with the bin appeared first on Grainews.

Why it matters: Every year, families are devastated by grain bin accidents that originate from a plugged bin sump and thousands of dollars are spent unplugging or cutting holes in bins to remove the grain.

“Nothing like it has ever been developed before,” says Shawn Gengerke, CEO and founder of Leading Edge Technologies, who adds patents on the product are pending in Canada.

The Bin SumpPRO is the first of its kind as a retrofit kit for existing grain bin sweep systems that uses the existing powerhead, gearbox and a modified auger to run under full compaction load. The patent-pending beaters, along with the gate cutting blades, break up clumps from ice chunks, crust or foreign material that would otherwise plug the sump. Once the center grain level is at the floor, the whole sweep is ready to be used. A quick coupler reconnects the beaters to the auger for normal use.

Compatible with any grain bin floor sweep system

The system is compatible with any grain bin with a floor sweep system. Currently, there are three models available, with more coming in the future. Installation takes just a couple of hours, resulting in a cost-effective solution also offering peace of mind and protection of farmers and their families from tragedy.

The Bin SumpPRO can be purchased directly from the manufacturer via its website. The company is currently working to set up Canadian distributors.

The post New product remedies grain bin sump flow issues appeared first on Grainews.

“At literally every tradeshow, we talk to a dozen people who have fallen off a grain bin. Pretty much everyone knows someone who’s fallen. It’s not a small risk,” says Jesse Kope, a marketing manager with Northern Strands, Canada’s only manufacturer of ag-specific fall protection.

Why it matters: Falls are the No. 1 lost-time accident on farms and even a small fall could put daily farm functioning at risk.

“The size of grain bins has exploded in the last generation. It’s not uncommon to see 30-, 40-, 50-, 60-foot-high bins,” says Robert Gobeil, an agricultural health and safety specialist with the Canadian Agricultural Safety Association. “Climbing these high bins without any protection can be incredibly dangerous.”

While deaths from grain bin falls are — thankfully — uncommon, even a relatively small fall can translate into an injury that limits one’s ability to work and risks daily farm functioning, and can force a farm into dangerous financial territory.

“There are still a lot of mom-and-pop operations in Canadian agriculture. They generally don’t have a lot of extra manpower. If it’s the producer himself who falls off the bin, then what? An injury can ruin their season or worse,” says Gobeil.

Many farmers don’t realize they are breaking safety laws each time they climb their bins. In fact, though the details of safety legislation vary from province to province, each province requires fall protection any time an individual works above a certain height — 10 feet in most provinces. This is because, despite what many farmers believe, agriculture is not exempt from the Occupational Health and Safety rules that govern all workplaces.

The traditional stumbling block for safety legislation to be effective, particularly in agriculture, has been enforcement. That, however, is starting to change.

“Many producers are unaware that provincial enforcement has the authority to conduct an inspection of their operation at any time. This is starting to happen more often in the agricultural sector, so this can create some interesting situations if producers are not prepared,” says Gobeil.

“The thing to remember is that provincial enforcement officers are not there to shut you down; their primary job is to educate producers and their employees of their roles in regards to safety. They want to help ensure that everyone goes home the same way they woke up that day.”

Those who do not provide adequate fall protection to employees could be liable for any resulting injury. Still, that shouldn’t be the main — or the only — reason to consider fall protection.

“If I have someone working for me or under my supervision and can help prevent them from getting hurt, or if I can make sure I’m going to get home at the end of the day without injury, you better believe I’d do it. It’s the ethical thing to do,” says Gobeil.

Many farmers mistakenly assume that a ladder cage provides adequate fall protection. In fact, a cage may do more damage than good.

“Me? I’d rather climb a ladder with no cage than with a cage,” says Gobeil. “First, there’s a false sense of security from a ladder cage, which can mean people are less careful on the ladder. Second, if you fall, you’re kind of ping-ponging off the cage. The cage itself can be the source of abrasions, bruises, dislocations.”

Government legislation is starting to change: depending on where you live, a ladder cage may no longer be considered acceptable fall protection. Likewise, many grain bin manufacturers are moving away from cages.

Other safety options

A simple and inexpensive improvement over a straight, vertical ladder is a ladder with one or more landings set at acceptable fall distances. The landings are guard railed and, in addition to providing a welcome break when climbing, serve to limit the vertical drop of a fall.

“If you’ve got a landing every 10 feet, you might not need fall protection,” says Gobeil. “And, it’s a much more comfortable climb, especially now that the average age of Canadian farmers is fairly high.”

For those willing to invest more in safety, another option is the increasingly popular spiral staircase. Spiral staircases wrap around the exterior of the bin, are guarded with a handrail, and make climbing much easier and more comfortable. Spiral staircases can be retrofitted onto existing bins and are a recommended option on new bins from virtually all suppliers.

Recently, an effective, affordable option borrowed from the construction industry made its debut on Canadian grain bins. Bin Safe, created by Northern Strands, is the only agriculture-specific fall protection system currently available. The system consists of an easy-to-wear harness connected to a shock absorbing lanyard, which attaches via the “traveller” to a steel cable that runs from the bottom rung of the ladder up the side of the bin to the roof panels. The traveller can move up or down the cable as the user ascends or descends the ladder, but in the event of a fall, instantly locks to arrest the fall.

“We recognized that a fall protection system needed to be extremely easy to use, inexpensive, and very effective, otherwise farmers weren’t going to use it. So that’s what we made. You just clip on, which takes about five seconds. Then as you move up the ladder, you move the traveller with you, which takes a couple pounds of pressure to move. If you do happen to fall, Bin Safe stops the fall immediately. We’ve completed a number of drop tests with weights and dummies mimicking falls; tested it in every way we can. It stops the fall immediately every time,” says Kope.

“Falls are the No. 1 lost-time accident on farms. For a really inexpensive cost, you can save yourself a lot of heartache.”

Pull tested to 5,000 pounds, the system is universal to any grain bin (smooth or galvanized) and takes just 15 to 30 minutes to install. Bin Safe has won numerous awards in the three years it has been on the market, including the Ag in Motion Innovative Project award and the 2018 Agri-Trade Equipment Expo’s Ag Innovations Award.

Smooth and galvanized wall bin kits, which include all grain bin fall protection system hardware for a single bin, range from $165 to $230. The user kit, which includes a four-foot lanyard, fall protection harness and rope grab, is about $390. One user kit will service all bins.

“A bin fall protection system is an awesome, awesome concept. It takes what is already existing in other industries and applies it to agriculture,” says Gobeil.

Kope and Gobeil are both pleased to see a move, albeit a slow move, toward more safety in agriculture.

“Even over just the last few years, safety is becoming more of priority on Canadian farms,” says Kope. “I think it’s the younger generation of farmers who have worked off-farm in mining or construction, where using fall protection is just the way it is. They ask, ‘why shouldn’t we be safe farming too?’”

Six safety tips for climbing bins

Virtually all falls from grain bins are preventable. Here’s how:

1. Inspect ladders regularly (preferably as part of a monthly whole farm safety inspection) for broken, bent or wiggly parts. If you find a problem, post a “do not use” sign on the bottom of the ladder until the repair is complete.
2. Take the seconds necessary to clean dirt or mud from a ladder before using. As for ice or frost, either clean it off extremely well or skip the climb until it thaws.
3. Know what you’re doing: when using fall protection, ensure it’s properly fitted and adequately tight.
4. When climbing any ladder, maintain three points of contact with the ladder at all times.
5. Hands are for climbing only: never carry anything in your hands. Hoist supplies up once you’re at the top, or attach tools to a bag, belt or backpack.
6. Value paperwork. Filling out a hazard assessment form can help you think critically about safety (and can provide proof of due diligence in the event of any issue).

Taking a few moments to regularly think about safety is the single best investment you can make in your farm business.

The post Bin fall prevention equipment options and six top safety tips appeared first on Grainews.

Cleaning out grain bins isn’t a difficult task, but should be done to maintain the quality of grain. It is also a good time to inspect any mechanical components and clean up around the bin.

First of all, check the area outside the bins. Any garbage or clutter should be cleaned up and properly disposed of. Garbage and other debris pose not only tripping and fire hazards, but these items can make loading and unloading grain more difficult. Simple efforts to keep bin areas tidy can greatly improve the safety around grain bins.

Even spilled grain can pose a hazard. Spilled grain attracts rodents and insects, which in turn create health hazards through their droppings and urine. Try to keep the area free of spilled grain as much as possible. If your bin has any mechanical components (aeration systems), inspect any wiring or other components for fraying, corrosion or cracks. It’s also a good idea to check for signs of rodents in these areas. These critters can damage wiring quickly. If you do find signs of rodents, wear the appropriate personal protective equipment before cleaning any droppings or urine and take appropriate steps to rid the area of these animals.

It’s essential to remember that entering a grain bin should never be done alone. A trained watch person with a means of communication (two-way radio, cellphone etc.) needs to be present outside the bin. This support person needs to have constant visual or voice contact with the person entering the grain bin at all times.

Personal protective equipment (PPE) and the proper equipment should be available and organized before the task is started. A safety harness and lifeline, eye and respiratory personal protective equipment are all essential pieces of equipment. Make sure all your PPE is in good condition and fits well. This equipment isn’t just a “nice to have,” it’s essential in completing the task safely.

A component of safely entering bins is performing a lock out. If the bin is equipped with a bin sweep or other moving components, the controls need to be locked out in the off position. This involves locking the controls with either a third-party lock or the one associated with the machinery. Another good idea is to write a note indicating the bin is being cleaned — that way anyone who comes by knows why the controls have been locked out.

Simple operating procedures can help make tasks like bin cleaning safer and more efficient. Visit agsafetyweek.ca and check out the resources including tool box talks on topics like preparing bins, operating portable augers, transporting oversized loads and more.

The post Think ‘safety’ when you’re cleaning out grain bins appeared first on Grainews.

Safety concerns spurred the creation of Darmani Grain Storage’s Skylift, a small elevator that bolts to the side of a grain bin.

“It’s the whole idea of crawling up a bin with a 50 m.p.h. wind and you’re hanging on,” said Richard Epp, president of Darmani. “A gust comes along, it could blow you off.”

Darmani also sells grain bins, aeration fans, bin sweeps, and other equipment related to grain storage. Epp said Darmani has sold several units of the Skylift since it came on the market, about four years ago. They’re very popular on the 20,000 to 30,000 bushel bins, he said, as those bins are so tall.

“They’re the coming thing,” said Epp. “Alberta’s got legislation now where you’ve got to have some sort of protection going up. And this is starting to make a lot more sense.”

Northern Stands debuted its bin harness safety system at Ag in Motion. The company does a lot of work in the mining and construction industries, and grain bin safety seemed like a good fit, said Dave Perrin, who works in the fall protection division of the company.

“We decided to give it a shot. It seems to be working pretty good,” Perrin said.

Grainews spoke to Perrin the day after the harness system first debuted. Perrin said people were sharing stories about falling from bins, or people they knew who had fallen. There were also companies interested in becoming distributors, he said.

“So we’re very optimistic that we’re going to be able to hit the ground running with this and we’re going to save some lives.”

The details

The grain bin harness ties off workers the entire time they’re accessing the tops of grain bins, Perrin said. An anchor system bolts into the ribs on the bin roof. A lifeline (3/8-inch galvanized cable) runs down the ladder. The product also includes a traveling system, consisting of a wire rope grab.

“The worker can don a harness, with a four-foot lanyard, hook onto that traveler, and traverse up and down. They can climb right to the top of the bin, do any type of maintenance, any checks that they need to do,” said Perrin.

Right now the safety harness can only be installed on Westeel and Westor 1805 bins, Perrin said.

“We don’t have the ribs on the smooth-wall bin like we do with these ones so we’re going to have to come up with some sort of shimming method to make sure that that anchor fits the profile of the roof properly to withstand the loads.”

Farmers can use one Skylift for two bins, if the bins are side-by-side. Epp compared installing the Skylift to putting on a ladder. “You just bolt it on.”

The Skylift includes a 110-volt winch, a safety cage, safety cable, and safety grab hook. The safety cable includes a mechanism so that that “if the main winch cable breaks, then the safety cable takes over, and it will stop you right there.”

There is also a ladder, in case a farmer gets stuck at the top, Epp added.

Farmers should check the winch cables and safety cable periodically, but overall there’s very little maintenance involved, Epp said. “It’s all sealed bearings.”

The cost

Epp said the Skylift’s cost is about half the price of a spiral staircase. If building a new bin, $2,250 should get a farmer a Skylift, connecting platform, and installation. But Epp said exact cost does depend on height.

“Some people use them on legs and stuff. And they’re going up 60, 80 feet with them. Then it costs a little bit more because you’ve got to have more hardware to mount it.”

Skylifts can be purchased directly from Darmani Grain Storage. For more information, visit www.darmani.ca or call 1-866-665-6677. Darmani is located at Fiske, Sask.

Northern Strands offers two packages for safety harness systems:

• A primary package, which sells for $599. Includes the anchor, lifeline, traveler, and all the hardware. Also includes a harness and lanyard.
• A supplementary kit for $299. Doesn’t include the harness, lanyard, and traveler, as they’re not needed for every single bin. Perrin notes that the traveler can be moved from bin to bin.

To purchase a bin safety harness system, go to www.northernstrands.com or call 306-242-7073. Northern Strands is based in Saskatoon, and also has an office in Regina.

The post Getting safely to the top of those bins appeared first on Grainews.

“Virtually all entrapment events occur due to out-of-condition grain,” says Gary Woodruff, conditioning applications manager at GSI in Assumption, Illinois. “You don’t need to go into a bin if the grain is in good condition.”

What exactly is meant by good condition? According to Woodruff, it’s important to store your grain at the right moisture level, but that level will depend on what your plans are for it. For instance, grain that will be shipped in the spring should be stored at 15 per cent moisture, which grain that will be shipped next fall should be stored at 14 per cent. Grain that will be stored for longer than one year should be stored at 14 per cent moisture. “Reduce each by one per cent if grain is not excellent,” says Woodruff.

Woodruff also recommends taking out multiple cores of grain, enough to create a nine-foot diameter cone at the top of every 10 to 15 feet of depth as the bin is filled. Run aeration fans for five to 10 days after the bin is full, he says. This will help equalize kernel-to-kernel moisture.

Aeration isn’t just used to equalize moisture, though. Aeration can be used to lower grain temperature, and taking it down to 10 C will help combat insect activity and mould.

“Use the right amount of aeration air,” warns Woodruff. “Too much is as bad as or worse than too little. Aeration in a large bin will not hold high-moisture corn or reverse or stop a grain condition problem that is already in place. Only moving grain will help at this point, so follow the rules to prevent issues.”

Finally, Woodruff says it’s important to follow local university recommendations for aeration during storage, as conditions will vary depending on local weather and climate conditions.

Westeel general manager Bruce Allen agrees that out-of-condition grain is the No. 1 leading cause of grain bin deaths and accidents. And corn, he says, is particularly prone to problems. “The best way to prevent accidents is to detect and deal with the problem early, before it escalates into something major,” he says. “This is why early-detection practices, such as temperature monitoring, are utilized. Once detected, the problem can be appropriately dealt with using aeration, drying, etc.”

A zero-entry goal

Allen says that in 2010, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration in the U.S. issued a letter to all commercial grain installations advising that there had been too many associated deaths in the industry. They were warned that appropriate measures must to be taken to minimize the deaths and accidents associated with grain bin storage. The letter, says Allen, sparked a lot of activity.

“Today, you go to any industry conference or trade show and everyone is talking about and offering safety solutions, such as training and equipment,” he says.

While training and equipment will make entering the bin safer, the goal should be zero entry, he says. When entry is required, training is a must. Use proper procedures and appropriate safety equipment, and always have a person outside monitoring. Good practices, he says, involve working with personnel who:

• Are aware of the dangers and the steps that can be taken to mitigate the hazards.
• Understand and practice lockout procedures, tie-off procedures, external monitoring procedures and communication procedures.
• Use harness and fall protection and arrest equipment that is properly secured.

When asked if personnel should attempt a rescue should an accident occur both men were clear: No.

“First responders are trained in a variety of hazards and methods to deal with dangerous environments,” says Allen. “If a problem is minor, there may be a safe way for a producer to remove the threat or deal with a problem. However, again, lack of training could turn a minor problem into a major problem if proper procedures are not followed.”

Woodruff agrees. “Call 911 and let emergency personnel handle the rescue to prevent making the situation worse or getting someone else entrapped,” he says.

The post Bin safety starts with grain quality appeared first on Grainews.