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News Releases USDL: 96-487
Thursday, November 21, 1996
Contact: Fred Kane, (202) 219-8151

Further action to protect workers from against grain handling accidents has been taken by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).

The agency is giving its inspectors new directions that clarify provisions of the OSHA grain handling standard. The directive includes revisions made March 8th that ensured greater protection from being smothered by grain or getting trapped when mechanical equipment is used to move the grain.

The revisions were prompted by the Oct. 22, 1993 death of Patrick Hayes, who was walking across the corn in the Showell Farms, Inc., corn structure in De Funiak Springs, Fla., when he was pulled down into the grain and suffocated.

OSHA's directive outlines the facilities covered by the standard, according to Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) codes. It also clarifies such topics as emergency action plans, employee training, hot work permits, entry into grain storage structures, informing contractors on safety rules of the facilities, requirements for housekeeping practices to reduce accumulation of dust and prevent explosions, handling of spills, emergency escape facilities, temperatures for drying grain and storage capacity of the workplace.

Only compliance safety and health officers who are well trained and experienced in grain handling inspections should normally be assigned to conduct the inspections, according to the directive. It also directs compliance officers to wear natural fiber clothing such as cotton that is non-spark-producing and to take precautions in using manlifts and other means to gain access to upper levels of a facility.

States and territories operating their own OSHA-approved occupational safety and health programs have six months to adopt similar guidelines or an alternative that provides "at least as effective" employee protection.

OSHA's Instruction CPL 2-1.4C, "Grain Handling Facilities--Inspection Guidance and Standard Clarification," is available on the Internet at http://www.osha.gov under Other OSHA Documents, Directives, CPL 2-1.4C. This information also will be placed on an upcoming issue of the OSHA CD-ROM. Single printed copies are available by mail after Nov. 8, 1996, to requestors who send a self-addressed label to OSHA Publications, P.O. Box 3735, Washington, D.C. 20013-7535.