World Grain - September 2021 - 56

FEATURE: BUSINESS BOUNCING BACK
As important as this state-of-the-art technology is,
being too dependent on it can lead to complacency,
Steinbach said.
" Doing more with a lot less is one of our biggest
challenges today - whether it's budgets, time, manpower, "
he said. " We're getting stretched thinner. A lot
of this technology is really cool but one of the old timers
always told me there is no substitute for being able
to look, listen, feel and smell. "
Jepsen said she thinks of safety as a triangle comprised
of three equal points emphasizing technology,
education, and enforcement.
" By enforcement, I don't mean more OSHA regulaThe
panelists
at this year's
pre-conference
workshop on
employee safety
were, from left:
Dee Jepsen,
The Ohio State
University; Nick
Steinbach,
Two Rivers
Cooperative;
and Corey
Hopkins,
DEKRA Safety
Management
Systems.
tions and oversight, " Jepsen said. " I'm talking about a
company policy. "
A good safety program goes beyond identifying safety
violations and punishing the individuals who commit
them, Hopkins said.
" It's not just about holding people accountable, " he
said. " It's about setting clear expectations and then not
tolerating variances. "
Engaging as many employees as possible in a company's
safety effort also pays dividends, Steinbach said.
" We rotate different people on our safety committee,
so they get a taste of what's happening on a monthly
basis, " Steinbach said. " That way they're able to see
the reasons why we do things. "
Jeff Jones, vice president and director of eastern operations
for MKC Cooperative and 2020-21 GEAPS
international president, said a successful program involves
commitment from upper management down to
the lowest paid employees.
Throughout the expo, Oklahoma State University's Fire
& Emergency Services Training Center demonstrated
the proper rescue techniques for grain entrapment.
" You can spend all the money you want on safety,
but it's a culture, " Jones said. " You need to live it every
day. We start every day with a safety talk on a safety
topic. "
Because the grain industry is a tight-margin business,
grain facility managers must carefully assess where to
invest their money earmarked for safety.
" I would say as far as prioritizing, you should focus
on the big-ticket items that cause the most significant
injury or fatality exposure, " Steinbach said. " Lock-out
tag-out, confined space entry, arc flash electrical safety,
and fall protection - about 80% of significant injury
or fatality exposures come from those areas, so don't
scrimp in those areas. "
Hopkins said that while several of his larger clients
have their own trained rescue teams, most grain facilities
will call their local fire departments when accidents
occur, which is why it's important to invite them on site
so they can familiarize themselves with the facility and
the types of rescues they may need to execute.
" You need to have the fire department's phone number
and should alert them when you are going to do
a bin entry, " he said. " You need to make sure they're
available and not out on another call. "
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56
September 2021 / World Grain / World-Grain.com
Photo by Arvin Donley, Susan Reidy
http://www.World-Grain.com
World Grain - September 2021

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