Are You OSHA Compliant?

Many grain storage facility operators may not be aware that OSHA recently updated its standards for grain elevators to include new safety requirements.

Elevator operators now must provide temperature monitoring systems for bearings and motion detector devices that can shut down belt elevators if they malfunction. There are also requirements for monitoring devices that will trigger alarms if belts are misaligned or not tracking properly.

If you’d like to learn how Extron’s Hazard Monitoring, Ground Pile Management and Wireless Grain Management Solutions can help you become OSHA compliant, contact us for more information.

For more information about OSHA, visit their website or view the relevant requirements below.

OSHA Requirements for Grain Elevators

1910.272(q)(4)

The employer shall:

1910.272(q)(4)(i)

Mount bearings externally to the leg casing; or,

1910.272(q)(4)(ii)

Provide vibration monitoring, temperature monitoring, or other means to monitor the condition of those bearings mounted inside or partially inside the leg casing.

1910.272(q)(5)

The employer shall equip bucket elevators with a motion detection device which will shut-down the bucket elevator when the belt speed is reduced by no more than 20% of the normal operating speed.

1910.272(q)(6)

The employer shall:

1910.272(q)(6)(i)

Equip bucket elevators with a belt alignment monitoring device which will initiate an alarm to employees when the belt is not tracking properly; or,

1910.272(q)(6)(ii)

Provide a means to keep the belt tracking properly, such as a system that provides constant alignment adjustment of belts.

1910.272(q)(7)

Paragraphs (q)(5) and (q)(6) of this section do not apply to grain elevators having a permanent storage capacity of less than one million bushels, provided that daily visual inspection is made of bucket movement and tracking of the belt.