Mole•Master Ready for Bin Entry Safety Step-Up

As federal OSHA authorities renew their efforts to prevent bin entry violations, Mole•Master is prepared to step in and assist grain industry employers committed to maintaining a safe working environment.

"OSHA's beefed up compliance campaigns, especially with regard to permit required Confined Space Entry (CSE), make complete sense in light of recent grain engulfment incidents that took the lives of two teen-age workers and injured two adult employees," said Dave Laing, Mole•Master's General Manager.

In each incident, workers entered bins or silos with no safety equipment or other safety precautions. Grain facility operators can prevent such accidents by hiring professional silo cleaning companies, Laing said. All of Mole•Master's Field Personnel are fully trained in all aspects of CSE. Every service trailer is equipped with a full compliment of CSE equipment including dual line tripod, harnesses, air monitors, lock outs and anything else required to properly enter a bin.

Grain industry employers already have enough to worry about without requiring their workers to clean out or unclog silos on their own, he said. "Contracting with a well-vetted silo-cleaning provider allows grain facilities to concentrate on their true business. It also helps ensure workers' safety and the silos' uninterrupted operation."

A number of companies, including Browz LLC, of Draper, Utah, and Safety Management Inc., of Columbus, Nebraska, research, document and qualify silo cleaning companies for work with major grain handling operations.

Vetting firms like Browz and SMI require a wide variety of documentation, such as OSHA logs, liability insurance certificates and proof of employee training. Their approval is an important signal that a silo cleaning company can be trusted to discharge its duties in a safe and responsible manner, Laing said.

Mole•Master is currently approved by Browz and SMI to provide silo cleaning services to companies like Cargill, Lafarge NA, Ameren, Newmont Mining, DuPont and US Borax.

"We consider worker safety an utmost priority in any silo cleaning operation," Laing said. "We have a thorough understanding and mastery of OSHA's safety standards and concerns in this arena."

Visit the OSHA website or more information on the federal Grain Handling Standard at http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/grainhandling/index.html

For more information on Ohio-based Mole•Master, a leader in silo cleaning, inspection and preventative maintenance, visit our website at http://www.molemaster.com