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The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) have ramped up this year’s OSHA Summer Safety campaigns. With the onset of summer, the risks and dangers of working in triple-degree weather have risen with the thermometer. Heat can be one of the biggest risks to any outdoor or indoor working environment. Without the proper precautionary measures, workers can be at risk for heat stress, exhaustion, or even heat stroke. Hence, OSHA is placing emphasis on the dangers of hot weather to the workplaces.

The Experts Weigh In

According to acting Assistant Secretary of Labor Jordan Barab, the extreme temperatures of the summer weather won’t just be uncomfortable; the conditions can also be life-threatening. OSHA Summer Safety has made it a point to issue bulletins and reminders to both employers and workers across the country about the proper safety measures to be taken when working in the summer weather.

OSHA reminds the workforce that high temperature, humidity, the lack of a sufficient supply of water, and physical stress can lead to a variety of health risks. This includes irrational behavior, loss of consciousness, confusion, and heatstroke.

OSHA Summer Safety Measures

OSHA has then ensured that their bulletins on Protecting Workers from the Effects of Heat as well as Working Outdoors in Warm Climates are properly disseminated among the workforce. Individual states’ Department of Health has reminded to take proper measures to protect their workers from extreme heat. Some great measures to combat heat stress include:

• Avoiding drinks with caffeine, alcohol, or excessive sugar, which can cause workers to become dehydrated.
• Providing workers with at least two to four cups of water every hour. Hydration is the key.
• Limitations on outdoor work during the high-temperature points of noon and early afternoon. If possible, schedule frequent breaks in an air-conditioned area. It’s important to pace workers at high-heat moments.
• Recommending colored and loose-fitting clothing, sunglasses, and sunscreen. It’s an excellent way to avoid sunburns.

OSHA Summer Safety has made great strides in keeping both employers and employees informed about the risks of high heat. By taking careful consideration of these precautions, employees and workers can stay protected against the dangerous risks of extreme heat.

To see more vital reminders and precautions to be taken in the workplace, head to KCSupply.com and see how safety in the workplace can be taken even further.

#1 – Nationwide announces 2019 Grain Bin Rescue Tube recipients

https://www.agdaily.com/news/nationwide-grain-bin-rescue/?utm_source=FbMain&utm_medium=&utm_campaign=

#2  Tips on working safely in hot weather

https://www.osha.gov/news/newsreleases/trade/06222009

https://blog.societyinsurance.com/10-safety-tips-for-working-in-hot-weather/

https://www.safetyandhealthmagazine.com/articles/working-safely-in-the-heat

#3 Grain Rescue Tube Article – Why we Believe    (See Attached)

#4 Harvest Safety Tips

https://www.stewartseeds.com/en-us/agronomy-library/harvest-safety-tips.html

https://www.farmprogress.com/safety/8-steps-ensure-safe-harvest

https://www.agprofessional.com/article/make-safety-your-no-1-priority-harvest

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Grain bin safety and the usage of grain bin rescue tubes are concepts that do not often get the necessary precautions they need. Five years ago, there had been 38 documented entrapments in grain bins. In 2017 alone, there were 23-grain entrapment cases as well as nine falls into or from grain storage units. There were even cases of asphyxiations due to toxic surroundings and insufficient oxygen levels.

Numerous things can go wrong when working with grain storage, and that is precisely why Nationwide began the annual Grain Bin Safety Week.

Grain Bin Safety from Nationwide

Nationwide collaborates annually with the biggest industry leaders in agriculture, numerous professionals, and safety experts. KC Supply, which has its own line of grain bin rescue tube varieties, is one of the partners of Nationwide, committed to ensuring the health and safety of agricultural professionals across the country. Together, they launched Grain Bin Safety Week. The event highlights the possible risks and dangers of working around grain storage and the importance of proper safety practices around them.

In conjunction with Grain Bin Safety Week, Nationwide launched the Nominate Your Fire Department Contest which allows farmers and grain handlers from 26 states to nominate their local fire department. Selected fire departments will receive a grain bin rescue tube for their use, as well as all the proper training necessary to use it. This allows the fire department to be fully prepared in case of any more cases and incidents regarding grain bin storage and the workers around it.

This Year’s Winners

For 2019, 34 fire departments have won their own rescue tubes as well as training to receive it. Fire departments from New Jersey to Pennsylvania won the tubes.

Both Nationwide and KC Supply wholeheartedly congratulate the winners and are urging farmers and handlers all over the industry to continue promoting proper grain bin safety procedures.

To learn more about grain bin safety and other necessary equipment, head to KCSupply.com and find further valuable information.

Safety compliance should be one of the top priorities of any major manufacturing plant or production line, and that goes all the way down to the very basic: Safety signs. While it may seem trivial, particularly to larger safety concerns that may be on the production floor, overall factory and plant safety starts with this basic component. 

Why are these signs so important?

Workers in factories and plants throughout the world go to work every day in high-risk environments and production floors. While they likely have been given the necessary precautions, warnings, and other necessary alerts before coming onto the floor, they may not fully understand the risks or where these dangerous zones are. There might be areas or rooms on the production floor that don’t appear at all risky but actually prove dangerous for the unwitting.

It’s mandatory, according to law, to make sure there are clear, delineated safety signs or markings that indicate if an area is hazardous, and if certain products or items need special handling. On-the-job safety is always a major concern for companies that value their workers, and with the recent years’ improvement on safety for workers, there are now standards that companies nationwide must adhere to.

Examples of vital signages

During the work day, throughout the work area, there must be clear signs that keep employees, workers, supervisors, and guests—virtually anyone who steps into the factory floor—aware of what to do and what to be cautious about. These are mandatory by law.

The first example is the traffic signs. They may not be particularly obvious as safety signs, but traffic signs which indicate which way people, carts, or machinery may be moving will keep workers aware of whether or not they may be coming upon someone. Prohibition signs prevent people from smoking or eating in certain areas, or even prohibit them from being there without security equipment. Which brings us to security signs, which remind workers without clearance or the proper gear not to enter areas with dangerous materials or intense temperatures. Finally, there are the office signs, which let people know where to find the supervisors or offices, in case anything goes wrong.

All these signs may be simple, but they are important in keeping worker safety in the building. It starts from the very basic, after all. To learn more about safety practices and vital information in maintaining production efficiency, visit www.kcsupply.com and read more on the blogs.

Machines are what keep production going, and are the very beating heart of any production line, proving that plant maintenance should be one of the major concerns in a manufacturing plant. The machines that are tasked with creating products or items for a company are what keeps the entire enterprise going. If they are not carefully maintained or overseen on a day-to-day basis, there can be a huge chance for machine failure, with devastating results.

When purchasing a large production machine, the overall upkeep of this machine should be included in the considerations. Upgrades, costs, and most of all, maintenance need to be part of the plans. The upkeep of machines that are the essential part of the manufacturing processes, particularly large scale production, is tantamount to keeping everything running smoothly without a hitch.

What happens without plant maintenance?

Without a consistent plan of plant upkeep for all the production machines on the floor, there’s a chance that one of the vital technologies for production can fail. Sensitive sensors could stop working, limbs or machinery could drop–even just one device failure could mean a meltdown, causing thousands, or even millions of dollars lost in terms of sub-part production items, equipment repairs, and time lost. Time is always money in production. Each moment that one of the production machines, large scale or small, is down and unable to produce, means that profits are lost.

What could it cost a company?

Apart from the loss of the usage of a machine, a production line without proper plant maintenance would lose money from the products it would have been unable to complete. Losses are also incurred in the form of raw material or product that would not have been completed as a result of a faulty machine.

This is particularly important to remember for companies that manufacture or handle perishables or items that require a specific standard of quality control in order for a finished product to be sent out. Without regular upkeep, failures in the production line result in a product that doesn’t meet the standard. This could mean a sharp loss in stock, being unable to meet orders, and even bigger costs in fines if it puts the production at risk of health violations.

Ways to Avoid Losses

Draft up a regular plant maintenance plan that requires daily checks and upkeep of each machine on the production line. Consult with experts who will be able to give vital insight on ways to keep machines running, as well as important system upgrades that won’t just improve efficiency but also give the company the most production.

Learn more about large scale production and upkeep by consulting with the experts at KCSupply. Visit www.kcsupply.com to learn more.

Long-term grain storage has been the bane of every farmer’s life. If done improperly, this can render the precious harvest wasted. For this reason, it is important that you store your grains properly to avoid wastage.

As it turns out, the first step to this isn’t in the harvest itself, but on the grain bins. Here’s what you should do to ensure optimal long-term storage.

• Prepare your storage facilities – Make sure that your grain bin storage is clean and dry. You should also check under it and around it. Make sure there is no spot for insects to grow. Remember that if you battled insect infestation in the previous harvest, then you should fumigate your bin.
• Dry your grain to the right moisture content – Put only high-quality and mature corn into the bin storage so that it will keep better. Then, understand the right moisture content for your grains. You need to know the maximum allowable storage of your product, and you need to know the different temperatures that you should monitor throughout the year. You should never be complacent and set it at just say, 13% and leave it for a year. Also, make sure that you improve aeration by using a grain spreader. This ensures that the air will go through your harvest evenly and there would be minimal spoilage.
• Mind the temperature – The temperature for your grain storage is not the same during summer and during winter. For this reason, it pays to use a storage system that is combined with a good aeration system. This gives you full control of the temperature, so you can adjust it as you need.

The quality of your produce would depend on the quality of the grains that you put into the storage at the beginning, and how well you maintained it during the storage. In case you have any doubts, ask us at KC Supply to see if your storage system is enough to keep your grains free from spillage or wastage if you are considering long-term storage.

Checking grain storage is a vital part of storing your harvest and protecting your investment. However, did you know that the purpose of grain storage varies from group to group? The common clusters for this are farmers (such as yourself), traders, and the government. Here’s why these groups store their grains.

• Farmers – Majority of farmers store a portion of their grains for personal consumption, or their household’s food supplies. Whatever they don’t consume are allocated for the market, which they would want to sell on profitable times. Here, checking grain storage is important as the farmers would have to know when to sell: it should not be too costly or too risky, and should give them a good profit margin.
• Traders – Now, there are a lot of organizations that trade in grains. Grains are used for a lot of things, after all, and traders would need to have enough grain in storage in case their suppliers would fail to deliver raw products. For this reason, traders are highly invested in grain storage. You can almost bet that checking grain storage is the norm for them, particularly when they may need to access reserves.
• Government — The government does store grain for a number of reasons, among them to stabilize prices, food security reserve, and as a reserve in case the supplies cannot cope up with the demand. In such cases, governments have the proper storing capabilities to ensure that the grains won’t go to waste.

These three groups have their own reasons for storing grain, but they also limit the number of grains they store. Storing grains come with costs, and the more quantities of grain are kept, the higher the risk that the benefits derived from grain storage would be lost. Whatever the case, routinely checking grain storage is a must to ensure that all that grain wouldn’t be wasted.

Are you looking for grain storage tools? Head over to KC Supply—your one-stop shop for your farming needs. Click here to know more.

When it comes to farming, your job doesn’t stop once you have harvested your crop. You have to regularly monitor the grain quality of your harvest too.

There are many things that go into measuring your grain’s quality. The kernel size, hardness, and density of your grains would dictate if has been a good harvest, as well as the moisture content and the bulk density. Yet the bottom line is that a good quality grain would fetch higher prices in the market.

However, a lot of growers do not have the tools to properly monitor their grain quality. As such, many lose a lot of their hard work and investment from spoilage and shrinkage, both of which lead to lowered market value.  This means they might’ve spent more on the harvest than on what they would earn on the market.

Why would you compromise all your efforts when it can be rectified by properly monitoring your grain?

The first step to properly monitor the quality of your harvest is to invest in a good grain storage. Remember, the quality of your grain will no longer improve by the time you harvest it. The only thing you can control is to ensure that no harm comes to your grain—and there are quite a number of factors that can harm it too. There are insects, fungus, and molds to contend with, as well as moisture and poor sanitation. By having a good quality grain storage, you would be able to keep the temperature where you want it to be without damaging your grain.

If you are looking to preserve your grain quality by using a premium grain storage, then you’ve come to the right place. We at KC Supply offers an extensive line of bulk material conveying equipment and safety supplies. With our products, your grain quality will be protected from moisture, mold, insects, and fungus. Contact us today to know more.

Winter safety is paramount as it can be dangerous to work outside in cold weather. Apart from an increased risk of conditions like frostbite, hypothermia, and dehydration, you will also more prone to slipping and other accidents. Fortunately, the dangers can be curbed with the right precautions.

Here are tips on how to keep yourself safe this winter:

• Wear the right clothing

Dressing in layers will prevent your body from losing heat and will protect your skin from cold outside air. The right clothes include jackets, shirts, innerwear, and footwear. Make sure that your gloves and socks are comfortable and do a good job at warming your fingers and toes respectively. The toes and fingers are prone to the side effects of frostbite, so they need a lot of protection. For your headgear, winter safety gear requires that you choose something that covers both your head and your ears.

• Keep yourself properly nourished

Fats and carbohydrates are burned by your body to produce heat, so consuming them will be very helpful during cold weather. It may not seem like it, but cold weather also causes your body to lose fluids fast, increasing your risk of dehydration. It is, therefore, important that you drink enough fluids before working outside.

• Take a break

Continuous exposure to the cold can be harmful, so do take occasional breaks. Perform warm-up activities when you can to help your body produce heat. Winter safety best practices also require you to rest to keep you alert and ready to face the dangers outside.

• Keep a safety kit nearby

In case of emergencies, make sure you have a safety kit made for cold weather. This is especially ideal if you work on the road. The kit should contain essentials like blankets, matches, and candles. These items should help you keep warm for a set period of time.

Working outside during the cold can be dangerous, so it’s important that you’re prepared for it. Dress properly, eat healthy, and have the right items close to you to ensure that you are always safe .

There have been numerous accidents in recent times that call for grain bin training. Case in point: this farmer from Pennsylvania. According to a report from AG Daily, the farmer was working on a truck when he noticed something amiss. So, he entered the grain bin. Thankfully, a colleague immediately found him and called for help.

Cases such as this are becoming more common in farming. Thankfully, there are classes that teach the basics of grain bin safety, but not all workers are given the opportunity to learn them. However, your workers need to be familiar with the dangers of working near or in a grain bin, so they never find themselves in a dangerous situation.

Here are some of the pointers of grain bin training:

• Only enter the bin when necessary. If you must, practice precautions: ask for permission, tell someone you’re going in, and make sure this observer is someone you can trust with your life. After all, it only takes 90 seconds for you to die in case you are engulfed. This is why you need someone experienced watching guard over you as you enter the grain bin.
• Next, make sure you have prepared accordingly before going in. Grain bin training dictates that the unloading equipment are locked out prior to entering the bin so that they can’t be accidentally turned on. Next, the oxygen level must be at a minimum of 19.5% before you enter. There should be a secure lifeline (such as a harness or a ladder) for everyone who is going to come in.
• Finally, have a plan. Your management should talk about lifesaving tips, such as crossing your arms in front of your chest—as well as a plan for training and rescue in case something goes amiss. You should also train and practice often to make sure everyone can perform their role in case of a crisis.

With grain bin training, your workers will know how to proceed in case of an emergency. Of course, this can be prevented by using high-quality products such as the ones that are offered by KC Supply. Click here to know more about our products.