CFAES Give Today
OSU Extension

College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences

CFAES
September 21, 2015 - 4:27pm -- Anonymous

Take some time before the harvest season to review safety procedures around the grain bin.  Anyone who works around the bins and grain handling equipment should know where to find shut-off switches, fire extinguishers, and emergency phone numbers.  Some general safety procedures from Linda Geist at the University of Missouri include:

  • Develop a “zero entry” mentality. Stay out of the bin unless absolutely necessary.
  • If you have to check the grain, don’t go alone and let others know you are doing this to prevent them from turning on the auger.
  • Check lockout control circuit devices on the auger before entering the bin.
  • Run ventilation equipment before entering a bin to release toxic fumes.
  • Wear a safety harness and have a trained observer with you.
  • If someone becomes entrapped, do not attempt a rescue on your own. Many fatal grain bin accidents involve more than one death because observers die while making a rescue attempt. Call 911, turn off the auger or conveyor belt, and turn on fans to increase ventilation.
  • Train other family members and farmworkers to stay out of the bin. Keep ladders away to help children avoid the temptation to enter bins and wagons. Lock bins.