Safety Information - SPEC MIX G7000 SILO Manual De Seguridad

SAFETY INFORMATION FOR SPEC MIX
SPEC MIX ® silo systems are engineered and fabricated to increase all aspects of job site safety. Providing a safe
working environment for personnel utilizing the silo systems is our number one objective, and SPEC MIX, Inc.
continually strives to find new ways to exceed this goal.
The most common daily practice when operating a SPEC MIX silo is loading the unit with bulk bags. During this
process, to ensure the safety of the laborer that is opening the discharge chute(s) of the bulk bag being dispensed,
we strongly recommend individuals only work from the silo's safety platform. Moreover, the individual should use
the metal bag hook (gaff) shipped with each new silo to open the B-lock closure.
The SPEC MIX silo safety platform is engineered based on the OSHA safety standards specified for scaffolding
listed below—our silos meet these requirements.
1. Guard rails are required on welded frame scaffolds (or silos) that are 10 feet high or more.
2. Top rail height shall be at least 36 inches to a maximum of 45 inches.
3. Top rail strength must be at least 200 pounds for welded frame scaffolds.
4. Mid-rails must be positioned below the top rail and the work platform and the strength on a welded
frame scaffold must be at least 150 pounds.
5. Scaffold (or silo) legs must bear on base plates and these shall rest on either firm foundation or mud
sills.
In the event a person needs to climb on top of the silo, an OSHA fall protection lanyard is required and should
be used. OSHA states the following regarding scaffolding (or silo safety) work platforms: "If a scaffold (or work
platform) is more than 10 feet above a level (or ground), workers must have fall protection."
Fall Arrest Systems: A fall arrest system consists of a full body harness, a lanyard short enough to limit a fall to
six feet, and an anchorage. Welded on the top of silo to the left side of the slide-hatch top of each SPEC MIX silo
is a D-shaped anchorage point. This is where an individual's lanyard should be attached. The entire Fall Arrest
System must be capable of resisting the shock load caused by a fall. Both OSHA and ANSI rules require that these
anchorages be capable of supporting at least 5,000 pounds per worker attached—the SPEC MIX anchorage point
meets this specification.
Below are some suggestions for individuals using a fall protection lanyard to ensure job site safety.
1. Fall-arresting devices should be periodically inspected for damage by a qualified person, and faulty equipment
should be immediately removed from service. Additionally, employees required to wear fall protection should
inspect their own equipment before the start of each job.
Additionally, employers should train workers in inspection techniques that would allow them to identify faulty
equipment. Workers should inspect their equipment before the start of work each day. Faulty equipment should
be immediately removed from service to ensure worker safety.
2. Personal protective equipment should be able to withstand the harshest conditions to which it may be
subjected on any given job. Many materials, including nylon, can be easily damaged in the presence of extreme
heat. For this reason, nylon lanyards should not be used where they might be exposed to conditions that
could include extreme heat; rather, steel mesh or wire core lanyards would have been more suitable. Personal
protective equipment should be evaluated before being used on any job to ensure that it can withstand the
harshest conditions to which it may be subjected without sustaining damage that would jeopardize the safety
of a worker.
3. OSHA requires that workers working from float or ship scaffolds (scaffolds suspended from overhead supports)
be protected by an approved safety lifebelt, lanyard, and lifeline secured above the point of operation to an
anchor point or structural member.
4
SILOS
®
SAFETY INFORMATION FOR SPEC MIX
The SPEC MIX silo ladder is engineered based on the OSHA safety standards specified for fixed ladders listed
below. Our silos meet these key requirements.
1. If the total length of the climb on a fixed ladder equals or exceeds 24 feet (7.3 m), the ladder must be equipped
with ladder safety devices.
2. Fixed ladders must be provided with cages where the length of climb is less than 24 ft (7.3 m) but the top of the
ladder is greater than 24 ft (7.3 m) above lower levels.
3. Fixed ladders must support two loads of 250 lb (114 kg) each.
4. Individual rung/step ladders must extend at least 42 in (1.1 m) above a landing platform, or by providing vertical
grab bars that must have the same lateral spacing as the vertical legs of the ladder rails.
5. Each step or rung of a fixed ladder must be able to support a load of at least 250 lb (114 kg) applied in the
middle of the step.
6. Rungs of individual rung/step ladders must be shaped to prevent slipping off the end of the rungs.
7. Rungs and steps of fixed metal ladders must be corrugated, knurled, dimpled, coated with skid-resistant mate-
rial or treated to minimize slipping.
8. Minimum perpendicular clearance between fixed ladder rungs and any obstruction behind the ladder must be 7
in.
9. Minimum perpendicular clearance between the centerline of fixed ladder rungs and any obstruction on the
climbing side of the ladder must be 30 in (76 cm).
10. Fixed ladders must be used at a pitch no greater than 90 degrees from the horizontal, measured from the back
side of the ladder.
SILOS
®
5