Safety, Health & Environment

During an unusual planting and harvesting season, safety issues are particularly relevant as high grain moisture levels are prompting the need for aeration strategies. The Grain Handling Safety Coalition noted that high-moisture grain harvested in 2009 resulted in a dramatic increase in the number of grain engulfments well into 2010. Because moisture levels are high again during this year’s harvest, the coalition issued the following safety reminders: “Problems tend to develop when wet grain is immobile inside of a grain bin for too long without being properly aerated or circulated. This ... Read More

New executive orders signed by President Donald Trump on Oct. 9 are designed to ease the regulatory burden of federal guidance documents on agricultural operations and other businesses.  The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, which had representatives at the signing ceremony, said the orders “will provide more clarity and transparency to often-daunting and complicated federal regulatory processes,” specifically referring to the U.S. Department of the Interior and the Environmental Protection Agency. One of the executive orders states that “consistent with applicable law,” ... Read More

By Sarah Gonzalez, Director of Communications and Digital Media The world’s oceans have been absorbing carbon dioxide emissions, the effects of which are decimating marine wildlife and endangering human life, according to a new Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report. “This report is unique because for the first time ever, the IPCC has produced an in-depth report examining the furthest corners of the Earth -- from the highest mountains in remote polar regions to the deepest oceans,” said Ko Barrett, vice chair of the IPCC. “We've found that even and especially in these ... Read More

By Jess McCluer, Vice President of Safety and Regulatory Affairs Purdue University’s Agricultural Safety and Health Program recently released its “2018 Summary of U.S. Agricultural and Confined-Space Related Injuries and Fatalities” report, which documents 30 grain entrapment cases that occurred in 2018. The 30 cases represent a 30 percent increase in grain entrapments from 2017, when 23 entrapments were recorded. The number of fatal cases (15) was the fifth largest recorded after 2010.  Notably, Purdue does not specifically identify the number of grain entrapment cases that ... Read More

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on Sept. 12 announced the formal repeal of a 2015 rule that expanded the definition of “waters of the United States” (WOTUS) under the Clean Water Act. Under the Obama administration’s 2015 WOTUS rule, EPA’s jurisdiction was expanded over the nation’s bodies of water, leading agricultural and business groups to criticize the agency for federal overreach. President Trump issued an executive order early in his presidency directing EPA to create a new rule using as a model the late Justice Antonin Scalia’s opinion ... Read More

During harvest, grain handlers and farmers may be exposed to hazards of flowing grain and possible grain entrapments. Fatigue and long hours make it tempting to take shortcuts for routine tasks, increasing the risk of injury or death. Taking the extra time to stay safe and perform tasks according to Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) standards can save lives. NGFA has several training videos and easy-to-share resources to help managers and employees stay safe this harvest. Review a select sampling of NGFA resources relevant to harvest-time hazards below: NGFA ... Read More