1. Bin & Hopper Safety

2. Primary cause of death is suffocation due to engulfment

3. A stuck up to the knees will not free them self without help Struggling movements may cause them to sink deeper

4. A person trapped to the waist will require 500 pounds of force to remove

5. A person trapped above the waist will quickly find it difficult to breathe as the material settles against him & restricts diaphragm & chest movement

6. A person can asphyxiate even if head is not covered

7. Hazards Falls Bridging Crusting Mechanical
Large bins are more hazardous

8. Rules & Regulations

9. a1
Equipped with mechanical devices or other means of handling materials so that during normal operations persons are not required to enter or work where they are exposed to entrapment by the caving or sliding of materials

10. Equipped with supply & discharge operating controls
The controls shall be located so that spills or overruns will not endanger persons

11. b
Where persons are required to move around or over any facility listed in this standard, suitable walkways or passageways shall be provided

12. c
Where persons are required to enter any facility listed in this standard for maintenance or inspection purposes, ladders, platforms, or staging shall be provided

13. c
No person shall enter the facility until the supply and discharge of materials have ceased and the supply and discharge equipment is locked out

14. c
Persons entering the facility shall wear a safety belt or harness equipped with a lifeline suitably fastened

15. c
A second person, similarly equipped, shall be stationed near where the lifeline is fastened and shall constantly adjust it or keep it tight as needed, with minimum slack

16.
Unless platforms or safety lines are used, persons shall not position themselves over drawholes if there is danger that broken rock or material may be withdrawn or bridged.

17. Things To Consider

18. Lockout - Tagout

19. Rescue - can one attendant do it
Rescue - can one attendant do it? Most would have trouble pulling up a person’s dead weight & probably could not free them

20. Design hoppers to reduce need for entry Steep enough to induce free flow & reduce clogs Low friction liners

21. A suspended & adjustable platform that can be lowered into place to allow work from above trouble spot

22. A rescue plan before entering

23. Proper safety gear readily accessible

24. Workers properly trained & advised of hazards

25. Bins and hoppers kept empty during extended shutdowns & freezing temps to keep material sticking to sides