14 WHEN THE FARMis both a home and a place of business, farmers need to be vigilant to keep their families and workers safe. During the rush of harvest time, it is important to take the time needed to operate equipment safely and use safe practices around flowing grain. Sheila James, a health and safety consultant with Workplace Safety & Prevention Services (WSPS), wants farmers to keep two things top of mind this fall. “A farmer needs to know the danger of flowing grain so that you can advise your family and your workers of those dangers, and you need to know how to rescue someone that is trapped in grain.” If you have on-farm grain storage, James says to make sure you tell your workers not to go into a grain bin, “but if you do have to go into a bin, make sure no one is going to turn the auger on — put a lockout on.” Respect the dangers SAFETY REMINDERS FOR HARVEST Rachel Telford FIREFIGHTERS IN GEORGINA, ONTARIO, TRAINED TO RESPOND TO GRAIN ENTRAPMENTS. PHOTO COURTESY OF THE CANADIAN AGRICULTURAL SAFETY ASSOCIATION. Communication is key, so everyone knows where others are. Having someone outside the bin to monitor your well-being and respond quickly to any incident could also be lifesaving. However, James notes that if a grain entrapment occurs, help may take longer than expected to reach a victim. “When we phone 911, we assume the fire department will come to the rescue, but there are so many fire departments that don’t have confined space training. If they have to call for backup, it could be another hour before help arrives,” says James. Recently, there has been a push to train rural first responders for grain entrapment situations. Local safety associations, agribusinesses, and 4-H clubs have partnered to increase awareness during safety demonstration days, support training, and raise funds to purchase rescue cofferdams. “Fire departments and farmers need to train and work together to know how to rescue someone from a grain entrapment,” says James. She recommends farmers take confined space training, a course offered by WSPS, which highlights the need for a written hazard assessment, an entry procedure, and a rescue procedure for any confined space. The course provides a better understanding of the equipment (such as harness and tripod) and the whole plan needed to rescue someone from a confined space — such as a person trapped in grain. PREVENTION Of course, prevention is always the first response. Community outreach is an important part of James’ work. With fairs and events returning to in-person, she is happy to be back where the farmers are. In particular, Industry News
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