OSHA standards require that both grain dust and ignition sources must be controlled in grain elevators to prevent these often deadly explosions.įalls from height can occur from many walking/working surfaces throughout a grain handling facility. Grain dust is highly combustible and can burn or explode if enough becomes airborne or accumulates on a surface and finds an ignition source (such as hot bearing, overheated motor, misaligned conveyor belt, welding, cutting, and brazing). Grain dust is the main source of fuel for explosions in grain handling. Grain dust explosions are often severe, involving loss of life and substantial property damage. The behavior and weight of the grain make it extremely difficult for a worker to get out of it without assistance. "Bridged" grain and vertical piles of stored grain can also collapse unexpectedly if a worker stands on or near it. Moving grain acts like "quicksand" and can bury a worker in seconds. Suffocation can occur when a worker becomes buried (engulfed) by grain as they walk on moving grain or attempt to clear grain built up on the inside of a bin. Suffocation is a leading cause of death in grain storage bins. These hazards include: fires and explosions from grain dust accumulation, suffocation from engulfment and entrapment in grain bins, falls from heights and crushing injuries and amputations from grain handling equipment. The grain handling industry is a high hazard industry where workers can be exposed to numerous serious and life threatening hazards. What are the hazards in grain handling facilities? Grain handling facilities include grain elevators, feed mills, flour mills, rice mills, dust pelletizing plants, dry corn mills, facilities with soybean flaking operations, and facilities with dry grinding operations of soycake. Grain handling facilities are facilities that may receive, handle, store, process and ship bulk raw agricultural commodities such as (but not limited to) corn, wheat, oats, barley, sunflower seeds, and soybeans. OSHA has developed this webpage to provide workers, employers, and safety and health professionals useful, up-to-date safety and health information on grain handling facilities.
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