Current through Register 2024 Notice Reg. No. 38, September 20, 2024
(a) Scope:
(1) This section applies to all grain
handling facilities, including grain elevators, outdoor flat storage and flat
storage structures, feed mills, flour mills, rice mills, dust pelletizing
plants, dry corn mills, soybean flaking operations, and the dry grinding
operations of soycake.
(2) For the
purposes of this section, the term "grain" includes raw and processed grain,
grain products, and cottonseed.
(A) The term
"grain" is limited to the kernel and does not include the stalk or other
vegetative matter of the grain plant.
(3) This section contains requirements for
the control of grain dust fires and explosions, and certain other safety
hazards associated with grain handling facilities.
(4) This section does not apply to seed
plants which handle and prepare seeds for planting.
(b) Entry into grain storage structures, flat
storage structures and work on outdoor flat storage.
(1) The employer shall either issue written
authorization for entering bins, silos, tanks or other confined spaces, or
provide a qualified supervisor during the entire operation.
(A) The written authorization shall certify
that the precautions contained in this section and in section
5158 have been implemented prior to
employees entering confined spaces. The written authorization shall be
maintained on file for inspection by the Division.
(B) Prior to the entry of a confined space,
the atmosphere shall be tested. If the oxygen content is less than 19.5 percent
(%), or combustible gas or vapor is detected in excess of 10% of the lower
explosive limit, or combustible particulate is detected in excess of 20 percent
(%) of its lower explosive limit, or a toxic agent is detected in excess of its
immediately dangerous to life or health concentration, the requirements
prescribed by section
5158 shall apply.
NOTE: This section does not preclude the requirement to
control harmful exposures, under the provisions of Article 107, to toxic
substances at concentrations less than those immediately dangerous to life or
health.
EXCEPTION fo r subsection (b)(1): Outdoor flat storage
and flat storage structures in which there are not toxicity, flammability,
oxygen-deficiency, or other atmospheric hazards.
(2) Prior to entering, all mechanical,
electrical, hydraulic, and pneumatic equipment which presents a danger to
employees inside grain storage structures, flat storage structures or working
on outdoor flat storage shall be deenergized and shall be disconnected,
locked-out, tagged-out, blocked-out, or otherwise prevented from operating by
other equally effective means or methods as prescribed by GISO section
3314.
(3) "Walking down grain" and similar
practices where an employee walks on grain to make it flow within or out from a
grain storage structure, flat storage structures or outdoor flat storage, or
where an employee is on moving grain, are prohibited.
(4) Employees shall not be permitted to be
either underneath a bridging condition, or in any other location where an
accumulation of grain or grain products on the sides or elsewhere could fall
and engulf the employee.
(5) The
employer shall equip the employee with a full body harness with lifeline, or a
boatswain's chair, and a second employee shall be present when an employee
enters a grain storage structure from a level at or above the level of the
stored grain or grain products, or when an employee walks or stands on or in
stored grain of a depth which poses an engulfment hazard.
(A) The lifeline shall be so positioned, and
of sufficient length, to prevent the employee from sinking further than
waist-deep in the grain.
EXCEPTIONS fo r subsection (b)(5):
1. Where the employer can demonstrate that
the protection required by this subsection is not feasible or creates a greater
hazard, the employer shall provide an alternative means of protection which is
demonstrated to prevent the employee from sinking further than waist-deep in
the grain.
2. When the employee is
standing or walking on a surface which the employer demonstrates is free from
engulfment hazards, the lifeline or alternative means may be disconnected or
removed.
(6)
The employer shall provide necessary equipment and qualified personnel for
rescue operations.
(c)
Hot work.
(1) The employer shall issue a
permit for all hot work, with the following exceptions:
(A) In welding shops authorized by the
employer;
(B) In hot work areas
authorized by the employer which are located outside of the grain handling
structure.
(2) The permit
shall certify that the requirements contained in General Industry Safety
Orders, Groups 10 and 11 have been implemented prior to beginning the hot work
operations. The permit shall be kept on file until completion of the hot work
operations.
(d)
Housekeeping. The employer shall develop and implement a written housekeeping
program that establishes the frequency and method(s) determined best to reduce
accumulations of fugitive grain dust on ledges, floors, equipment, and other
exposed surfaces.
(1) The housekeeping
program for grain elevators shall address fugitive grain dust accumulations at
priority housekeeping areas.
(2)
Priority housekeeping areas shall include at least the following:
(A) Floor areas within 35 feet of inside
bucket elevators;
(B) Floors of
enclosed areas containing grinding equipment; and
(C) Floors of enclosed areas containing grain
dryers located inside the facility.
(3) The employer shall immediately remove any
grain dust accumulations whenever they exceed 1/8 inch (.32cm) at priority
housekeeping areas.
EXCEPTION: Grain and product spills shall not be
considered fugitive grain dust accumulations. However, the housekeeping program
shall address the procedures for removing such spills from the work
area.
(4) The use of
compressed air to blow dust from ledges, walls, and other areas shall only be
permitted when all machinery that presents an ignition source in the area is
shut-down, and all other known potential ignition sources in the area are
removed or controlled.
(e) Grate openings. Receiving-pit feed
openings, such as truck or railcar receiving-pits, shall be covered by grates.
The width of openings in the grates shall be a maximum of 2- 1/2 inches
(6.35 cm).
(f) Filter collectors.
(1) Fabric dust filter collectors which are a
part of a pneumatic dust collection system shall be equipped with a monitoring
device that will indicate a pressure drop across the surface of the
filter.
(2) Filter collectors
installed on or after July 5, 1990, shall be located:
(A) Outside the facility; or
(B) In an area inside the facility protected
by an explosion suppression system; or
(C) In an area inside the facility that is
separated from other areas of the facility by construction having at least a
one hour fire-resistance rating, and which is adjacent to an exterior wall and
vented to the outside. The vent and ductwork shall be designed to resist
rupture due to deflagration.
EXCEPTION fo r (f)(2): The provisions of this section
shall apply retroactively to existing non-compliant filter collectors installed
on or after July 5, 1990, effective December 14,
2007.
(g) Preventive maintenance.
(1) The employer shall implement preventive
maintenance procedures consisting of:
(A)
Regularly scheduled inspections of at least the mechanical and safety control
equipment associated with dryers, grain stream processing equipment, dust
collection equipment including filter collectors, and bucket
elevators;
(B) Lubrication and
other appropriate maintenance in accordance with manufacturers'
recommendations, or as determined necessary by prior operating
records.
(2) The employer
shall promptly correct dust collection systems which are malfunctioning or
which are operating below designed efficiency. Additionally, the employer shall
promptly correct, or remove from service, overheated bearings and slipping or
misaligned belts associated with inside bucket elevators.
(3) The employer shall implement procedures
in accordance with the provisions of GISO section
3314 for the use of tags and locks
which will prevent the inadvertent application of energy or motion to equipment
being repaired, serviced, or adjusted, which could result in employee injury.
Such locks and tags shall be removed in accordance with established procedures
only by the employee installing them or, if unavailable, by his or her
supervisor.
(h) Grain
stream processing equipment.
Grain stream processing equipment (such as hammer
mills, grinders, and pulverizers) shall be equipped with an effective means of
removing ferrous material from the incoming grain stream.
(i) Continuous-flow bulk grain dryers.
(1) All direct-heat grain dryers shall be
equipped with the following automatic controls that will:
(A) Shut-off the fuel supply in case of power
or flame failure or interruption of air movement through the exhaust fan;
and
(B) Stop the grain from being
fed into the dryer if excessive temperature occurs in the exhaust of the drying
section.
(2) Direct-heat
grain dryers installed after July 5, 1990 shall be located in one of the
following areas:
(A) Outside the grain
elevator; or
(B) Inside the grain
elevator protected by a fire or explosion suppression system; or
(C) Inside the grain elevator separated from
other areas of the facility by construction having at least a one hour
fire-resistance rating.
(j) Inside bucket elevators (bucket
elevators).
(1) Bucket elevators shall not be
jogged to free a choked leg.
(2)
All belts and lagging purchased after July 5, 1990, shall be conductive. Such
belts shall have a surface electrical resistance not to exceed 300
megohms.
(3) All bucket elevators
shall be equipped with a means of access to the head pulley section to allow
inspection of the head pulley, lagging, belt, and discharge throat of the
elevator head. The boot section shall also be provided with a means of access
for clean-out of the boot and for inspection of the boot, pulley, and
belt.
(4) Bearings:
(A) Bearings shall be mounted externally to
the leg casing; or
(B) Vibration
monitoring, temperature monitoring or other means shall be provided to monitor
the condition of bearings mounted inside or partially-inside the leg
casing.
(5) Bucket
elevators shall be equipped with a motion detection device which will shut-down
the bucket elevator when the belt speed is reduced by 20% of the normal
operating speed.
(6) Belt
alignment:
(A) Bucket elevators shall be
equipped with a belt alignment monitoring device which will initiate an alarm
to employees when the belt is not tracking properly; or
(B) A means shall be provided to keep the
belt tracking properly, such as a system that provides constant alignment
adjustment of belts.
(7)
Subsections (j)(5) and (j)(6) of this section do not apply to grain elevators
having permanent storage capacity of less than one million bushels, provided
that daily visual inspection is made of bucket movement and tracking of the
belt.
(8) Subsections (j)(4),
(j)(5), and (j)(6) do not apply to the following:
(A) Bucket elevators which are equipped with
an operational fire and explosion suppression system capable of protecting at
least the head and boot section of the bucket elevator, or
(B) Bucket elevators which are equipped with
pneumatic or other dust control systems or methods that keep the dust
concentration inside the bucket elevator at least 25% below the lower explosive
limit at all times during operations.
(k) Record keeping.
A certification record shall be maintained of each
inspection performed in accordance with sections
3221(e),
3328(b), and
5178(g) containing
the date of the inspection, the name of the person who performed the inspection
and identification of the equipment inspected.
(l) Contractors.
(1) The employer shall inform contractors
performing work at the grain handling facility of known potential fire,
explosion and engulfment hazards related to the contractor's work and work
area. The employer shall also inform contractors of the applicable safety rules
of the facility.
(2) The employer
shall explain the applicable provisions of the emergency action plan to
contractors.
(m)
Emergency escape.
(1) The employer shall
provide at least two means of emergency escape from galleries (bin
decks).
(2) The employer shall
provide at least one means of emergency escape in tunnels of existing grain
elevators.
(3) Tunnels in grain
elevators constructed on or after July 5, 1990 shall be provided with at least
two means of emergency escape.
EXCEPTION fo r (m)(3): The provisions of this section
shall apply retroactively to existing non-compliant tunnels in grain elevators
constructed on or after July 5, 1990, effective December 14,
2007.
(n)
Training. In addition to the requirements of section
3203, employees shall be trained
prior to starting work in a grain handling facility and annually thereafter in
at least the following:
(1) General safety
precautions associated with the facility, including recognition and preventive
measures for the hazards related to dust accumulations and common ignition
sources such as smoking; and,
(2)
Specific procedures and safety practices applicable to their job tasks.
Employees assigned special tasks, such as but not limited to, cleaning
procedures for grinding equipment, clearing procedures for choked legs,
housekeeping procedures, hot work procedures, preventive maintenance
procedures, lockout/tagout procedures, confined space entry, and handling of
flammable or toxic substances, shall be provided training to perform these
tasks safely.
(3) Training for
employees who enter grain storage structures or work on grain storage piles
shall include instruction in the recognition of engulfment and mechanical
hazards and how to avoid them.
(o) Emergency action plan. The employer shall
develop and implement an emergency action plan in accordance with section
3220 of these Orders.
1. New
section filed 6-5-90; operative 7-5-90 (Register 90, No. 29). For prior
history, see Register 87, No. 51.
2. Change without regulatory
effect amending subsection (b) filed 1-11-94 pursuant to title 1, section
100, California Code of
Regulations.
3. Amendment filed 11-14-2006; operative 12-14-2006
(Register 2006, No. 46).
Note: Authority cited: Section
142.3, Labor
Code. Reference: Section
142.3, Labor
Code.
