Red Deer (Rural Roots Canada) – With the crop tucked safely in grain bins, this is the time of year when those regular checks begin.

AgSafe Alberta’s Jody Wacowich says staying alert to safety, especially when climbing the bin, needs to be top of mind.

“When we’re climbing up to look at those, we want to make sure that we’re really emphasizing three points of contact, or if you have a fall-arrest harness, making sure that you use it,” says Wacowich.

“So often it’s like, oh yeah, it’s there, it’s too awkward to put on, it takes too much time. Really, those few extra seconds can prevent some pretty serious injuries.”

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Wacowich adds that good footwear matters too. Shoes with proper traction can make all the difference.

She stresses that you should never enter a full grain bin.

“When we start to enter bins, we start to put ourselves in a confined space. And so it’s harder to get out of if something does happen. And if it does happen, we’re starting to look at a rescue.”

To find out more about grain safety, head over to agsafeab.ca