U.S. Department of Labor
Program Highlights

SCOPE - covers grain handling facilities under Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 1910.272.

EMERGENCY ACTION PLAN - incorporates CFR 1910.38 which requires written plans for facilities with 11 or more employees, permits oral instructions for sites with 10 or fewer workers.

TRAINING - calls for annual training including general precautions about dust and ignition hazards, specific procedures applicable to each employee's job. Additional training required with new job, special training for special tasks such as a bin entry and handling flammable or toxic substances.

HOT WORK - requires a permit system to certify work in accord with OSHA regulations with permits to be filed until work completed except (1) when permit authorizer present while work is being done; (2) in an authorized welding shop; and (3) in hot work areas outside the grain handling structures.

ENTRY INTO BINS, SILOS, AND TANKS - requires permit for entry unless permit authorizer on site during entire operations; calls for equipment to be disabled or blocked to prevent operation; mandates atmospheric testing when hazards may be present and appropriate protective measures if hazards detected; specifies use of body harness or boatswain's chair. Requires observer who has received rescue training to be stationed outside ready to assist with suitable rescue equipment at hand; prohibits employees from entering facility underneath a bridging condition or buildup of grain. Excludes flat storage building or tanks where diameter is greater than the height.

CONTRACTORS - calls for employers to inform contractors of known fire and explosion hazards and applicable safety rules including the emergency action plan.

HOUSEKEEPING - mandates a written performance-oriented program to reduce dust; designates priority housekeeping areas for grain elevators near known potential ignition sources: (1) floor areas within 35 feet of inside bucket elevators; (2) floors of enclosed areas containing grinding equipment; and (3) floors of enclosed areas containing grain dryers located inside the facility. Specifies for grain elevators an "action level" of 1/8 inch grain dust - when dust reaches this level, in priority housekeeping area it must be removed; offers the alternative of such measures as wetting down the grain dust or adding oil additives to grain stream if these measures provide "equivalent protection" to the action level. Permits use of compressed air to remove dust only when all ignition sources in the area are shut down, removed or controlled; addresses cleanup for grain spills separately from dust.

GRATE OPENINGS - specifies widths for grate openings for receiving pits no wider than 2 1/2 inches.

FILTERS - requires that fabric dust filters in existence before the standard be equipped with monitors to indicate a pressure drop across the surface of the filter; newly installed filter collectors must be located: (1) outside the facility; or (2) in an area inside the facility protected by an explosion suppression system; or (3) in an area inside separated by a firewall adjacent to an exterior wall and vented to the outside.

PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE - calls for regularly scheduled inspections of mechanical and safety control equipment associated with dryers, grain stream processing equipment and dust collection equipment including filter collectors and bucket elevators; requires lubrication - and other appropriate preventive maintenance - in accordance with manufacturers' recommendations or as determined necessary by prior operating records. Specifies prompt repair of malfunctioning dust control systems or removal from service; mandates correction or removal from service for overheated bearings and slipping or misaligned belts associated with inside bucket elevators. Calls for employers to certify that inspections have been performed including a date, inspector's name, and equipment identifier such as serial number; establishes requirement for lockout/tagout program to avoid inadvertent activation of equipment being serviced.

GRAIN STREAM PROCESSING EQUIPMENT - requires effective means of removing ferrous material from incoming grain stream.

EMERGENCY ESCAPE - specifies two means of escape from galleries (bin decks); requires only one way out for existing tunnels; two from tunnels constructed after March 1988.

CONTINUOUS FLOW BULK RAW GRAIN DRYERS - requires automatic controls which shut off fuel supply in case of power of flame failure or interruption of air movement through the exhaust fan; mandates controls to stop grain from being fed into the dryer if the temperature in the exhaust is excessive. Specifies that dryers installed after March 1988 be located outside the grain elevator or inside protected by a fire suppression system or separated by construction with a one-hour fire resistance rating.

INSIDE BUCKET ELEVATOR - prohibits jogging to free choked leg; requires new belts and lagging purchased to be conductive and have a surface electrical resistance not to exceed 300 megohms; specifies a means of access to the head pulley and boot to inspect both and clean boot. Calls for bearings to be mounted externally to the leg casing or for vibration monitoring, temperature monitoring, or equivalent to detect overheated bearings; requires motion detection device to shut down bucket at or before the bucket speed drops 20 percent of its normal operating speed; mandates belt alignment monitoring devices or hydraulic boot take-up systems which provide constant alignment adjustment of belts; permits daily visual inspections of belts in lieu of motion detection and belt alignment devices for grain elevators with permanent storage capacity of 1 million bushels or less; offers an alternative to external bearings, motion detection device and belt monitoring systems: a pneumatic or other dust control system to keep dust 25% below the lower explosion limit; or, an operational fire and explosion suppression system to protect the head and boot of the bucket elevator.

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This is one of a series of fact sheets highlighting U.S. Department of Labor programs. It is intended as a general description only and does not carry the force of legal opinion. This text is available from the Department of Labor electronic bulletin board, LABOR NEWS. User costs are limited to a toll call. LABOR NEWS phone: 202-219-4784; 1200 or 2400 Baud; Parity: None; Data Bits = 8; Stop Bit = 1; voice phone 202-219-7343. This information will be made available to sensory impaired individuals upon request. Voice phone: (202) 219-8151. TDD message referral phone: 1-800-326-2577.