7 life-saving tips: Remember grain-bin safety this harvest season

PEOSTA, Iowa — Never enter a grain bin alone. Always have a spotter. Never work around flowing grain. Always use proper safety equipment.

Grain-bin safety can’t be summed up in a few words, but those are some of the top principles to remember.

Dan Neenan, director of the National Education Center for Agricultural Safety, shared grain bin safety tips in an educational message sponsored by Nationwide.

“Grain can be deceiving,” he said. “When stored in a structure, grain can often go out of condition and form a crust-like layer.

“If a person enters the bin and tries to break up the crust from the inside, the grain could collapse and trap them, creating an emergency situation.”

Rescuing entrapped individuals can be difficult and time consuming.

“Taking steps to prevent grain bin entrapments from ever happening is critical, and it’s important to follow the safety procedures and use proper equipment when working with grain structures,” Neenan said.

Grain-Bin Safety Tips

1. Turn off and lock out all powered equipment associated with the bin, including augers used to help move the grain, so that the grain is not being emptied or moving out or into the bin. Standing on moving grain is deadly; the grain acts like “quicksand” and can bury a worker in seconds. Moving grain out of a bin while a worker is in the bin creates a suction that can pull the workers into the grain in seconds.

2. Prohibit walking down grain and similar practices where an employee walks on grain to make it flow.

3. Provide all employees a body harness with a lifeline, or a boatswain’s chair and ensure that it is secured prior to the employee entering the bin.

4. Provide an observer stationed outside the bin or silo being entered by an employee. Ensure the observer is equipped to provide assistance and that their only task is to continuously track the employee in the bin.

5. Prohibit workers from entry into bins or silos underneath a bridging condition, or where a buildup of grain products on the sides could fall and bury them.

6. Test the air within a bin or silo prior to entry for the presence of combustible and toxic gases and to determine if there is sufficient oxygen.

7. Ensure a permit is issued for each instance a worker enters a bin or silo, certifying that the precautions listed above have been implemented.