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Grain-auger standard aims to curb injuries

There’s a new Canadian safety standard for portable augers used on farms.
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New safety standards for portable augers

There’s a new Canadian safety standard for portable augers used on farms. It could take a couple of years before producers see the results in the marketplace, but auger manufacturers are getting set to work the new standard into their equipment designs.

The Alberta Centre for Injury Control and Research reports almost 70 per cent of farm injuries involve machinery.

The new Canadian Standards Association standard for portable agricultural augers was developed over several years by the agricultural machinery technical committee of the CSA.

The standards committee includes farmers, manufacturers, regulators and researchers from Canada and the U.S. The group considered research results, member experience and similar standards in the U.S. and Australia.

Jim Wassermann, an engineer with the Prairie Agricultural Machinery Institute in Saskatchewan, is a member of the team that came up with the new CSA standard.

Wassermann said most of the upgrades in the auger standards relate to the design of the intake guard and the auger driveline.

“Those are the areas where most injuries take place,” he said.

“The standards team has now come up with practical options to prevent a hand or foot from contacting the rotating flighting, without restricting product flow.

“For example, a retractable intake guard is now an option in the new standard. It can stay in place for most operations, but in unique situations, it can be retracted and alternative safety precautions put in place.”

The new standard also references all recent standards that relate to guarding auger drivelines and PTOs.