Addressing the top three areas of concern
Every year, tens of thousands of dollars are spent on claims caused by grain dryers, a piece of equipment commonplace across much of the U.S. grain industry.
When things go right, grain dryers are a very successful and important part of a facility’s grain management program. When things go wrong, however, grain dryers can cause dangerous, costly fires. These fires have the potential to destroy grain and equipment, but they also can lead to considerable downtime, workplace safety issues, and lost revenue.
Lack of Training
There are three common causes for grain dryer fires. The first is a lack of training in the use and care of the equipment.
As the workforce continues to change, we are often hiring employees with less and less grain handling experience. It has become more important than ever to emphasize proper training, especially when it comes to grain dryers.
Evaluate your company’s training program to determine if you’re doing a good job of explaining why it’s imperative to follow specific procedures for starting up, shutting down, and cleaning grain dryers.
Too often, training is a check-the-box instruction that fails to describe the importance and purpose of specific procedures. Even our most seasoned employees need to be reminded that cutting corners can be dangerous, costly, and even deadly.
By explaining the story behind the procedure, we give employees the mental ammunition to stay on track following procedures.
Maintenance and Inspection
Maintenance and inspection controls are crucial to avoid grain dryer fires and issues. There are many different types and designs of grain dryers, but every dryer needs to be maintained and serviced according to the manufacturer’s recommendation. Sometimes needs require more frequent service.
Your maintenance plan should include annual inspections by the manufacturer or a third party. Fuel lines should be inspected for weak or faulty connections. Discharge conveyors should be checked to ensure they are not clogged. Hazard monitoring systems need to be checked for proper functionality. Keep exterior screens clean, especially on tower-style dryers. Ensure all electric wiring, burner systems, and other key components are installed by a professional and meet manufacturer recommendations and any applicable codes. Ensure your grain dryer is equipped with an automatic shutdown system. These systems allow you to easily cut off fuel or heat sources, stop the flow of grain, and sound an alarm.
Well-Written Procedures
Using a grain dryer safely and efficiently involves following well-written start-up and shut-down procedures. Most grain dryer manufacturers have an established routine for cleaning their equipment.
However, in some locations, higher use and particular grain quality might require more cleaning than others. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requires cleaning your grain dryer every 24 hours at a minimum, but some circumstances and conditions require more frequent cleaning.
Provide a fire watch after a dryer has been shut down. OSHA 1910.272(p) states that direct-heat grain dryers need to be equipped with automatic controls to shut off the fuel supply in the event of a failure with the system.
Grain dryers are a valuable tool for receiving and conditioning grain. However, they must be respected. Without proper maintenance and start-up and shut-down procedures, grain dryers can become a costly liability. By ensuring these are done correctly and training your operators in the safe operation of the grain dryer, you can help prevent costly incidents and continue to send your employees home safely.
Dean Alling is the safety director for Ray-Carroll Coop in Richmond, MO (deana@ray-carroll.com, 817-932-1000).