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NGFA to Host ‘Stand-Up for Grain Safety Week’
Partnering with OSHA, Industry Groups
Grain handling and storage is key issue for the grain, feed and processing industries and producers. Increased storage capacities combined with larger, faster handling and automated equipment contribute to the safety and health hazards.
The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the National Grain and Feed Association (NGFA) formed an Alliance, which allows the grain, feed and processing industry to work more closely and collaboratively with the agency to address the hazards. Through the Alliance, the NGFA and OSHA are focusing on providing both NGFA members and OSHA staff with information guidance and access to resources regarding the safety and health hazards associated with grain bin entry, machine guarding, respiratory protection, falls, heat, combustible dust, struck-by and lockout/tagout.
Currently, the NGFA, OSHA, the Grain Elevator and Processing Society, the American Feed Industry Association and the Grain Handling Safety Coalition are working together to raise awareness of industry and OSHA resources available to identify potential hazards at grain, feed and processing facilities through the Stand-Up for Grain Safety Week, held March 25-29.
There are numerous OSHA- and industry-developed resources available to assist in preventing future incidents. Stand-Up for Grain Safety Week is a way of reaching out to employers and workers to get them involved in improving worker protection, reducing injuries, and preventing fatalities from engulfment. Check out "What is a Safety Stand-Up" for more information.
Companies may participate by providing a focused activity and/or toolbox talk on topics such as engulfment/entrapment, slip, trip, and fall prevention, mechanical hazards, machine guarding, lock-out/tag-out, walk down, or any other prevention measures. These events should provide outreach and training information to workers about hazards, protective methods, and the company's safety policies, goals, and expectations. It is also an opportunity to listen to workers' and their safety concerns and ideas.
During this Week, each day will have an identified safety topic and employers and workers will be able to conduct site activities such as employee training, hazard hunts, audits of prevention measures, corrections of any identified hazards, and a review of engulfment prevention measures and procedures.
