Ferel cat at an abandoned grain bin in Kansas

Morning meditation: caturday edition. #photography #caturday #grainbins #rurallife

Thunderstorm forming over a grain bin in black and white

Morning meditation: Thunderclouds overhead edition. #photography #blackandwhite #thunderstorm #grainbins

When entry is necessary: Train workers on entry procedures, safety equipment, grain quality, and emergency situations. More tips: gpcah.org.

When entry is necessary: Have a witness on the outside. Communicate with pre-determined hand signals or a two-way radio. More tips: gpcah.org.

When entry is necessary: Only enter if all equipment has been locked out and tagged out including: Turnheads, Reclaim conveyors, Augers. Do not enter if this cannot be done. More tips: gpcah.org.

When entry is necessary: Gas monitor. Do not enter when: Oxygen (O) is <19.5% or >23.5%, Carbon Monoxide (CO) >25 ppm, Hydrogen Sulfide (H₂S) >10 ppm. More tips: gpcah.org.

If you are entering #grainbins this #StandUp4GrainSafetyWeek, here is a refresher on the safety considerations. Which of these steps could you improve on at your farm?

Do NOT enter the grain bin. This is the best safety strategy. More tips: gpcah.org.

#2 Prevent grain spoilage. Check roof leaks and aeration equipment before storing. Aerate and remove the core of fines. More tips: gpcah.org.

#3 Think outside the bin. Knock grain clumps or crust apart using a pole. More tips: gpcah.org.

#4 Post signage. Warning of potential engulfment. Requiring entry to be done by trained workers. More tips: gpcah.org.

For #Standup4GrainBinSafetyWeek, let’s talk #zeroentry. Think it’s impossible? Look at these slides for what your first considerations should be.

#grainbins #grainstorage #standup4grainsafety

Grain bins and Silos—these two structures are can be commonly mistaken, and they each serve a different purpose with what they each store. Grain bins generally store dry corn and soybeans, which meet domestic or export market demand for feed, food and fuel use. Silos traditionally store silage, which is grass or other fodder harvested green and wet, primarily to feed dairy cattle. These two structures also look very different. Grain bins are metal cylinders with peaked metal roofs that typically have staircases or ladders on the outside. They are vented, silver, corrugated steel structures fatter in diameter than silos and have varying heights.

I was driving out on the prairie and saw this scene. The sense of scale caused me to stop.

These grain bins are near the Colorado town my great grandparents homesteaded in the 1800’s.

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#grainbins
#classicmono
#eastcoastkin
#ir
#infrared
#bnw
#rural
#prairie