Article
US expands grain handling safety programme
Published: 04/11/2024
The United States (US) Department
of Labour recently announced that its Occupational Safety and Health
Administration (OSHA) launched a regional emphasis programme to address worker
safety in the highly hazardous grain handling industry, as preventable injuries
and unchecked hazards continue to be a serious concern for workers in the
region. The programme in Missouri is identical to those already in place in
Kansas and Nebraska.
Between 1 October 2020 and 30
September 2023, OSHA responded to three fatalities, 13 reported amputations,
and 36 hospitalisations among industry workers in the three states alone.
During this period, the agency completed 104 inspections, including 68 in
Kansas, 28 in Nebraska, and eight in Missouri. It received 131 complaints or
referrals regarding unsafe conditions in the grain handling industry.
Hazards at grain handling
facilities are well documented and include dangers related to fires and
explosions if combustible dust ignites, engulfment, confined spaces, falls,
auger entanglements, electrical shock and electrocution, struck-by incidents,
and those related to rail car operations.
The expanded five-year programme
targets industry employers with grain elevators, grain storage and milling
operations, and those engaged in animal feed production, farm machinery, and
equipment repair or maintenance. – Insurance Journal