Bin safety tips: Stay out

High moisture harvest means steady action around the bins – with oversight of dryers, aeration fans, latches, hatches, augers and trucks. The best advice is to stay out of the bins entirely and keep all guards and shields in place.

If necessary to go in the bin, the Canadian Agricultural Safety Association (CASA) provides these bin-entry basics:

–Don’t enter a grain bin unless you have a plan. Make sure children know the grain bin is off limits.
–If you must enter a grain bin, have at least two people nearby prepared and capable of helping in an emergency.
–Use extreme caution if entering a bin with wet, mouldy or spoiled grain in it. Air hazards may include toxic gases, dusts and reduced oxygen content. Turn on the blower and use respiratory protective equipment in such situations.
–Lock-out the power source to the auger, ensuring no one can start filling or emptying the bin while you are inside.
–If there is a permanent ladder on the inside of the bin, stay on the ladder above the level of compacted or bridged grain while dislodging the grain. Wear a full body harness with the lanyard attached to the ladder above your head. If you are in a bin that doesn’t have a permanent ladder, then use a safety harness with rope and secure it to a point
outside the bin.

Read the Grain Bin Safety brochure from the Canadian Agricultural Safety Association (CASA)

If stress and fatigue are getting in the way of good practices and safety, you can talk about it.