U.S. Department of Labor, Industry Leaders and Safety Professionals Join For 2020 National Safety Stand-Up for Grain Safety Week, April 13-17

 WASHINGTON, DC ‒ To raise awareness about the hazards in the grain handling industry ‒ including potentially deadly engulfment ‒ the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is joining with industry leaders and safety professionals nationwide for the Stand Up4 Grain Safety Week, April 13-17, 2020.

“OSHA appreciates the safety and health commitment of grain-handling industry employers and employees who provide food security for America,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Occupational Safety and Health Loren Sweatt. “Grain Safety Week seeks to increase awareness of worker protection by focusing on grain-handling hazards and taking advantage of available training tools to implement best practices and effective safety and health programs.”

The Grain Handling Safety Coalition (GHSC) has scheduled a series of webinars to promote virtual participation in Stand Up4 Grain Safety Week activities. Register for an upcoming event. Topics include maintenance, machine guarding, safe bin entry and fall safety.

The Grain Elevator and Processing Society (GEAPS), the National Grain and Feed Association (NGFA) and GHSC will be providing information to the agri-business community and the public through newsletters, emails and placement of information on the both the Stand Up webpage and social media using the hashtag #StandUp4GrainSafety.

Grain handling safety is of particular concern this spring, as heavy rains in 2019 contributed to record floods across the central U.S., causing unprecedented delays in planting crops and resulting in the fall harvest being stored with a high moisture content increasing the possibility of grain clumping and molding. This may cause workers to enter bins to clear crops from sidewalls and augers to allow the grain to flow from the storage bin. Similar weather conditions in 2009 resulted in record numbers of injuries and deaths in the industry in 2010.

OSHA’s Grain Handling Industry Local Emphasis Program focuses on the grain and feed industry’s six major hazards: engulfment, falls, auger entanglement, “struck by,” combustible dust explosions and electrocution hazards. Employers may also contact their local OSHA Office, or the OSHA On-Site Safety and Health Consultation Program for their state. OSHA offers additional resources on workplace safety in the agriculture industry.  

Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, employers are responsible for providing safe and healthful workplaces for their employees. OSHA’s role is to help ensure these conditions for American working men and women by setting and enforcing standards, and providing training, education and assistance. For more information, visit https://www.osha.gov/.

The mission of the Department of Labor is to foster, promote and develop the welfare of the wage earners, job seekers and retirees of the United States; improve working conditions; advance opportunities for profitable employment; and assure work-related benefits and rights.