Grain safety

Flowing grain has resulted in serious injuries and fatalities on Manitoba farms. Safe work procedures and policies will protect workers from the various hazards associated with grain handling.

Flowing grain can be a hazard when dealing with powered mobile equipment such as a grain truck, semi-truck, railroad car or combine. When a worker may have to climb on a vehicle or its load at any location where it’s not reasonably practicable to provide a fall protection system for the worker, the employer must take steps to eliminate or reduce the need for a worker to climb on the vehicle or load and provide information, instruction and training to a worker on safe work procedures for climbing or working on the vehicle or its load.

When working with grain in confined spaces, Part 15: Confined Space of the Manitoba Workplace Safety and Health Act and Regulation outlines the measures that must be in place.

Other Manitoba Workplace Safety and Health regulations that may be applicable, depending on the task associated with grain, include:

• Part 5: First Aid & Emergency Planning, Section 7.4(5)(b) of the WSH Act
• Part 6: Personal Protective Equipment
• Part 8: Musculoskeletal Injury
• Part 14: Fall Protection
• Part 16: Machines, Tools and Robots
• Part 36: Chemical and Biological Substances

Visit Manitoba Farm Safety’s website for resources related to farm safety.