16 The Business of Prairie Agriculture Better Farming | November/December 2024 Grain Handling Safety Prairie farmers are busy managing their grain throughout harvest and the following months. After all the work to grow it, they must now transport, store, and market it. Each time a grower handles the grain, there is an associated risk. Kendra Ulmer, a Saskatchewan farmer and agriculture occupational health nurse for the Canadian Centre for Rural and Agricultural Health, says that a focus on awareness and a strong safety culture is the best way to avoid the incidents and health threats that accompany grain handling. Farmers and employees should know the risks and how to mitigate them to stay safe. The risks The initial risk that comes to mind when handling grain is entrapment. Merle Massie, professional research associate for the Canadian Centre for Rural and Agricultural Health, says that it has been happening more frequently in recent years. “In Saskatchewan, over the past 10 or so years, asphyxiation by grain entrapment has become the leading cause of non-machinery on-farm fatalities,” says Massie. Larger operations and equipment have contributed to this development. “Some of the reasons which have led to grain entrapment becoming much more of a risk are larger storage bins on farms and in industry, faster grain handling equipment – including the size of augers used which move grain faster – and increased use of large-scale grain moving equipment such as grain carts and bottom-dump semi-trailers,” Massie explains. “These larger-scale units, combined with typical farm safety issues such as farmers often working alone, and fewer farms following an operational culture based first on safety, means that grain entrapment risk is much higher now than it has been in the past.” Grain entrapment isn’t the only risk. Health hazards, which often create problems after long-term exposure rather than immediately, may be overlooked when discussing farm safety. “Entrapment and engulfment are the most obvious risks when it comes to handling grain,” says Robin Anderson, director of Programs and Communications for the Canadian Agricultural Safety Association (CASA). “But there are other hazards and risks, including exposure to grain dust, falls from heights, confined space-related hazards, hazards that include ‘GRAIN ENTRAPMENT RISK IS MUCH HIGHER NOW THAN IN THE PAST’ CREATE A FARM CULTURE OF GRAIN SAFETY BY EMILY MCKINLAY CASA photo CASA's BeGrainSafe program trains firefighters on grain entrapment rescues.
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