This year, high moisture levels and declining quality are raising the risk of grain engulfment, and grain handlers across the nation should keep safety top-of-mind, said experts at the 2015 Michigan Agri-Business Assn. winter conference.
"Maintaining best practices when it comes to storing grain and working around grain bins is always important, but this year really stands out," said Jim Byrum,president of MABA. "High moisture levels will increase grain bridging, and those working in or around grain storage facilities should take the time needed to be safe and prevent engulfment and other hazards."
Bob Marlow of The Andersons Inc. said millers, elevator operators and farmers should think of quality and safety as interconnected goals that can reduce risks—physically and financially. Marlow and other experts say the issue is especially timely as data indicates a correlation between high-yield harvests with a rise in grain entrapment incidences.
According to Purdue University, which has tracked grain entrapment occurrences nationwide since 1978, the most number of reported incidents per year—38 and a record 51—occurred when corn harvests were the highest, 2009 and 2010 respectively. These years were notable for high moisture content and low test weight. In 2010, 26 people died from grain bin entrapment, the highest recorded, according to the Occupational Health and Safety Administration.
"If we address quality, we can eliminate the need to enter a confined space where the grain is flowing," Marlow said. "These bins, these elevators, weren't designed for us to be in there. The only time we're in a bin is when there's a problem."
Marlow and Purdue University's Klein Ileleji emphasized the importance of proactive grain storage management practices to control moisture, temperature, pest infestations and other issues that affect quality and ultimately safety. Marlow advocated coring and hearting bins; cooling grain mass; tracking temperatures and carbon dioxide readings; taking samples and transferring grains; and inspecting surfaces safely, using smell and touch. Ileleji said Michigan agriculture could greatly benefit from focusing on sanitation, loading, aeration and monitoring, or SLAM.
Mike Boring of The Andersons Inc. said it is critical to share the grain quality and storage safety messages with farmers and others, and to take pre-emptive safety steps at all stages of the harvest.
"Take time to do that little bit of maintenance to avoid any problems down the road," Boring said. "Safety is a priority. We continue to drill that message with our producers."
Jeff Waggoner at Fumigation Service and Supply said storage safety also includes handling fumigants in a safe way, including ensuring that fumigation is done by trained, skilled and licensed staff.
"We need to be mindful of where we are and the industry setting we're in," he said. "When we're working in these bins, we can get complacent. We need to realize we're 80 feet up. We need to monitor our surroundings."
Jeff Trudell of Star of the West Milling Co. said weather conditions can also be a safety factor. Moisture can make some fumigant products more dangerous.
MABA has focused on grain bin safety this year and will continue encouraging producers, agribusiness operators and grain handlers to learn more at www.grainentrapmentprevention.com.