221556 Breaking the Paradigms Leading to Grain Engulfment

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

David McDonnell , Occupational Safety and Health Administration, United States Department of Labor, Wichita, KS
Confined space entry procedures in the grain and feed industry continue to account for a disproportionally high number of fatalities. There are a number of causal factors leading to these fatalities that combined with improper assessment and acceptance of risk sets company owners, site managers and ultimately their employees up for disaster. Among the many causal factors and their fixes discussed in this session will be the way in which employers write their safety and health programs and confined space entry procedures, selection and training of employees, societal perceptions and expectations, determining safe options to clear clogged grain conveyance equipment, assignment of decision making to the proper level of management, current agricultural practices that contribute to grain storage problems, and industry best practices.

Learning Areas:
Occupational health and safety

Learning Objectives:
Compare a safe grain bin entry to an unsafe entry. List safe methods to clear clogged grain conveyance equipment Describe a company policy that could reduce the likelihood of employees entering an unsafe grain-bin.

Keywords: Occupational Safety, Agricultural Work Safety

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: David K. McDonnell is the Compliance Assistance Specialist in OSHA’s Wichita Kansas Area Office. He has worked for OSHA for 13 years performing inspections, investigations and assisting employers gain a better understanding of their occupational safety and health responsibilities. In addition to performing a number of investigations and inspections in the grain and feed industry including the investigation of a grain elevator explosion, he assists with instruction of the OSHA Training Institute Grain Handling course taught in Manhattan Kansas.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.