Grain handling facilities in rural or industrial settings are high hazard operations where workers can be exposed to serious and even deadly hazards such as:

• Suffocation from engulfment or entrapment by grain, the leading cause of fatalities in grain bins. 
• Falls, fires, explosions, electrocutions, and improperly guarded machinery.
• Exposure to grain dust and associated airborne contaminants  such as  molds, chemical fumigants, and gases associated with decaying and fermenting silage.

These and other hazards can result in crushing injuries, amputations, permanent central nervous system damage, heart and vascular disease, cancer, and death.

Related topics:

• Accident Prevention Program.
• Agriculture.
• Chemical Hazard Communication.
• Combustible Dust.
• Conveyers.
• Fall Protection.
• Forklifts.
• Hazardous Atmospheres.
• Ladder Safety.
• Lockout/Tagout (LOTO).
• Machine Guarding.
• Machine Safety.
• PPE (Personal Protective Equipment).
• Power Takeoff (PTO).
• Respiratory Protection.
• Slips, Trips, and Falls.
• Teen Workers in Agriculture.

How can I get help from L&I?

• To request a confidential workplace safety or health consultation, call or visit http://www.lni.wa.gov/Safety/Basics/Assistance/Consultation/about.asp for no charge technical assistance.
• For help with controlling your claims costs, call or visit http://www.lni.wa.gov/Safety/Basics/Assistance/Consultation/riskmanagement.asp for a no charge risk management consultation.
• Find information about filing a workplace safety & health complaint you may call or visit a local L&I office to file a complaint.
• Follow guidance in Steps To a Safe Workplace to create your safety program from scratch.
• For general information, call 1-800-423-7233.