Safer Sweep Auger Operation Using Robotics

The inside of a grain bin is a dangerous place. In 2014, there were no fewer than 70 reported cases of injury or death in confined agricultural spaces. Fifty-four percent were related to entrapments, but there are other incidents including asphyxiations, entanglements, falls, and fires. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulates the workplace safety procedures surrounding commercial grain bin use in the United States. However, in 2010 alone, OSHA performed 300 site inspections of commercial properties and reported finding nearly 75% of the workers in violation of their regulations which prohibit a worker entering a grain bin while grain is being emptied or moved into or out of the bin. Current regulations require a permit each time a worker enters a bin unless the employer is present during the entire entry operation. Our major goal is to prevent injuries and deaths caused by sweep auger operation, including equipment entanglement or grain entrapment and resulting suffocation, through the development of a robot for safer sweep auger assistance that eliminates the need for workers to enter grain bins to keep bin sweeps operating properly. Our approach to reduce risk, improve safety, and help ensure compliance with increasingly strict safety regulations involving sweep auger operations is the development of a robot for safer sweep auger assistance. The remotely-controlled, battery-powered robot eliminates the need for commercial grain storage workers or farmers to enter large grain storage bins to assist in completing the dangerous task of emptying grain from the bottom of the bin. The research will develop the robot, and evaluate its use and ability to promote safer common practices among grain production workers. BinMaster, a division of Garner Industries, is collaborating with robotic experts at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln to develop the robot and conduct initial field tests. Observation of worker practices with and without the assistance of the robot will be documented and analyzed to determine the impact of the robot on worker safety. Upon commercialization, the robot will be manufactured by BinMaster and marketed to both commercial and on-farm grain storage facilities. Our ultimate goals and anticipated long-term impact of the development and subsequent commercialization of a robot for safer sweep auger operation include a decrease in the number of injuries and deaths resulting from grain bin entry, as well as improved compliance with federal regulations.