SAFETY SURVEY: Best Safety Equipment

Melissa Wilson
Safety and Environmental Manager
Mountaire Farms | Selbyville, DE

“We believe supporting safety is more important than any single piece of safety equipment, and the best safety equipment is a careful worker. ‘Goal Zero’ is a special focus program where we encourage and promote a safe workplace, using three key messages:

• It’s my responsibility to work safely.

• I will speak up if asked to do something unsafe.

• If I see something unsafe, I will say something.

We recognize safe behavior by presenting a $25 VISA gift card, and a Safety Golden Egg that recipients hang in their work area to help remind others to work safely.

“In addition to a strong lockout/tagout program, we offer free prescription safety glasses, company subsidized safety boots, high-visibility garments for outdoor workers, and Hit Not personal alarming device for pedestrians in traffic areas that contain a collision avoidance module which alerts the wearer and operator of approaching vehicles to reduce accidents.

“Last season, we installed Sump Savers, hydraulic motors over the center sump in problem bins. The Sump Saver safely breaks up clumps to facilitate safe unloading and keep grain flowing without bin entry.”

We believe supporting safety is more important than any single piece of safety equipment, and the best safety equipment is a careful worker. -Melissa Wilson, Mountaire Farms

Mike Carroll
Vice President of People
Engagement and Safety
Frontier Cooperative
Lincoln, NE

“We have divot arms for confined space entries into boot pits. They’re tripods that are anchored over an opening and have a winch that can be used to pull employees out of a space.

“We have an anchor tester to test anchor points and ensure they will support 5,000 pounds of pressure. We test our own anchor points, so we don’t have to rely on outside firms. If an anchor point can’t support 5,000 pounds, we retire that point and install another.

“Finally, we built a grain engulfment trailer with a hopper, so we can perform grain rescue training. We’ll put an employee in grain up to their waist to simulate entrapment. This helps them understand what’s involved. Invariably, their eyes get big when they see it and realize what it’s like. Local fire departments borrow the trailer to practice and train for grain rescue. We use the trailer every year to train new employees before fall harvest.”

We built a grain engulfment trailer with a hopper, so we can perform grain rescue training. We’ll put an employee in grain up to their waist to simulate entrapment. -Mike Carroll, Frontier Cooperative

Ben Kitzmiller
Safety and Environmental
Operations Lead
General Mills
Minneapolis, MN

“Thinking about potential situations our employees may find themselves in at our facilities, fall protection and air monitoring equipment are the two most important pieces of safety equipment for us.

“Fall protection is critical when working on railcars and any time employees are working on heights. It’s a piece of equipment that if not worn correctly, won’t do its job. We make sure it fits correctly and can be worn comfortably and correctly.

“We need to ensure air-monitoring equipment is working well and calibrated correctly to keep employees safe from things we can’t see. This equipment can save lives when confined space environments are dangerous.”

Fall protection is critical when working on railcars and any time employees are working on heights. It’s a piece of equipment that if not worn correctly, won’t do its job. -Ben Kitzmiller, General Mills

Cody Hull
Safety and Compliance Manager
Frontier Cooperative
Lincoln, NE

“Regarding grain handling, if we’re getting into bin spaces, dust masks are very important. Many people don’t think about respiratory protection, but there are sicknesses and illnesses associated with grain dust. People used to tough it out, but you’ll cough and hack for a day, if you don’t have respiratory protection. You only get one set of lungs.

“Anhydrous ammonia is perhaps the most dangerous substance we handle, and it requires a group of safety equipment. Eye protection is critical as ammonia is attracted to tear ducts. Long-sleeve shirts with chemical-resistant gloves are also important. With vapor gases, full-face respirators are excellent at protecting the eyes and airways.

“There’s always the risk of falls when working at heights. Heights are increasing, and bins are getting taller – up to 200 feet. You can reduce the risk of falls, but you can’t eliminate it altogether. Self-retracting lanyards and harnesses are important to protect against the risk of falls.”

Regarding grain handling, if we’re getting into bin spaces, dust masks are very important. -Cody Hull, Frontier Cooperative