Safety, Health & Environment

By Jess McCluer, Vice President of Safety and Regulatory Affairs; and Sarah Gonzalez, Director of Communications and Digital Media The Coalition for Workplace Safety (CWS), a group of companies and trade associations including the NGFA that focuses on improving workplace safety, issued comments Sept. 28 to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) on the agency’s proposal to revise the injury and illness reporting regulation known as Tracking of Workplace Injuries and Illnesses. In its proposal, OSHA eliminated the final rule’s requirement for establishments with 250 or ... Read More

By Jess McCluer, Vice President of Safety and Regulatory Affairs Purdue University’s Agricultural Safety and Health Program recently released the “2017 Summary of U.S. Agricultural and Confined-Space Related Injuries and Fatalities” report, which documents 23 grain entrapment cases that occurred in 2017. The 23 grain entrapment cases represent a 26 percent decrease in entrapments from 2016 when 29 entrapments were recorded. The number of fatal cases (11) is the second lowest recorded since 1985; only 2012 reported a lower number of cases (8). Notably, Purdue does not specifically ... Read More

Jason Eardley, director of the Health and Safety Group for Archer Daniels Midland Co.’s Origination Business Unit, has been appointed by NGFA Chairman Eric Wilkey as the new chairman of NGFA’s Safety, Health and Environmental Quality Committee (SHEQ). Eardley’s chairmanship begins Sept. 4, when he will succeed Greg Rowe, vice president of operations, safety, health and environmental at Perdue AgriBusiness. The NGFA greatly appreciates Rowe’s dedication and leadership during his years as SHEQ chairman. NGFA’s SHEQ committee focuses on operations-related issues and proactively represents ... Read More

The National Grain and Feed Association (NGFA) is joining the U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL) Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) in asking NGFA member organizations and companies to demonstrate their commitment to workplace safety and health by participating in Safe + Sound Week, Aug. 13-19, 2018. DOL noted that more than 200 organizations, including the NGFA, already are partnering with OSHA to promote safety and health programs. “Implementing a safety and health program is one of the most effective ways to reduce injuries and illnesses, and improve business,” the ... Read More

By Jess McCluer, Vice President of Safety and Regulatory Affairs The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) released its proposed rulemaking to revise its electronic injury-and-illness reporting regulation originally issued by the Obama administration (formally known as: tracking of workplace injuries and illnesses).  The proposed rule eliminates the requirement that establishments with 250 or more employees electronically file Form 300 (Log of Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses) and Form 301 (Injuries and Illnesses Incident Report), but requires that they file Form ... Read More

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is asking organizations and businesses to show their commitment to workplace safety and health by participating in Safe + Sound Week, Aug. 13-19, 2018. DOL said more than 200 organizations, including the NGFA, already are partnering with OSHA to promote safety and health programs. “Implementing a safety and health program is one of the most effective ways to reduce injuries and illnesses, and improve business,” the agency said. “Effective programs can increase worker satisfaction, improve productivity, and ... Read More

Employers covered by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's (OSHA) recordkeeping requirements are reminded that July 1 is the DEADLINE to electronically submit their 2017 300A form through the Injury Tracking Application (ITA).  This requirement applies to establishments with 250 or more employees and in certain industries with historically high rates of occupational injuries and illnesses with 20 or more but less than 250 employees. Grain, feed and processing facilities are covered under "Wholesale Trade" and are required to comply with the ... Read More

During CONVEY ’18 this summer, Eric Conn, a founding partner of Conn Maciel Carey in Washington, D.C., and chair of the firm’s national OSHA Workplace Safety Practice Group, will provide a thorough overview of the most important aspects of an Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) inspection. CONVEY ’18, hosted by the NGFA and Grain Journal Magazine, is to be conducted July 25-26 at the Hilton Omaha hotel in Omaha, Neb., where speakers and attendees will focus on operations, compliance and grain quality issues facing the grain, feed and processing ... Read More

In the NGFA’s latest training video, join Manager of Education, Training and Regulatory Affairs Jim Seibert to brush up on the basic safety precautions and equipment needed to enter a grain bin. This short video breaks down each step of the process to ensure managers and employees don’t miss a step and stay safe every day. Engulfment is one of the leading types of fatalities inside a grain bin; however, there are numerous industry and Occupational Safety and Health Administration resources available to assist in preventing future incidents. This video summarizes some critical aspects of safe ... Read More