Grain Insurance & Guarantee

Loss Prevention Your Key to Tomorrow

Paul Urish

Company Snapshot

Grain Insurance & Guarantee Company:• Founded in 1920• By 40 grain companies• Currently 4 stakeholders• Commercial Property Portfolio• National Company in Canada• Offices Winnipeg, Halifax, London, Regina• Loss Control Inspection Division

•Field Inspectors (6)• Office Staff

• Coordinator• Manager

GIG Loss Prevention Group

Group Expertise

• Mechanical Aptitude • Most have elevator equipment experience.• One Licensed Electrician and Gas Fitter• Continual Training and Upgrades• Licensed Extinguisher Technicians• Licensed extinguisher shop in Regina• All AWSA & FSSC Licensing Auditors

Resources

Commercial Grain, Feed, Seed Fertilizer Facilities

Churches

Wood Carpentry Shops

Apartment Buildings,Condos, Seniors Complexes

Carnivals, Amusement Parks and Campgrounds

Medical Offices

Stores and Strip Malls

Restaurants

Fairgrounds and Exhibition Grounds

Loss Prevention

Loss Prevention involves the systematic evaluation of hazards in a Facility with strategies to reduce or eliminate loss events.

Loss Prevention Your Key to Tomorrow

Examples of Loss Events:

Fire/Explosion Potential

Property Damage

Natural Occurrences

Product Loss

Business Interruption

Human Injury

Some Loss Prevention Strategies•Maintain a Fire Safe Facility•Electrical Power- Follow Code rules in Classified Areas•Hot Work- Follow Strict Protocols•Dust Levels- maintain Aspiration equipment in good working order.•House Keeping- Follow Good Clean-up Practices•Preventive Maintenance Drives and Bearings- Regular Alignment & Lubrication•Critical Safety Devices- Keep Them in Place and Working•Lightning Protection- A storm of controversy.•Nightly Inspections- Let’s end the day the right way.•Predictive Maintenance- A step up in sophistication.

Your Staff can be Loss Control Inspectors

Our inspectors work with your staff to improve awareness of risk control strategies to reduce or eliminate loss events:•Establish Preventive Maintenance Programs

•Reduce Potential for Fire

•Eliminate Property Damage

•Anticipate Natural Occurrences

•Prevent Product Loss

•Minimize Business Interruption

•Prevent Human Injury

Regular Equipment Maintenance

Class II Grp G Rated Electrical Equipment

Beware of Temporary Portable Electric Construction Heaters

Electrical Switch Gear Room (MCC)

•Clean•Dust Free•No Combustibles

Maintenance Workshop??

Fire Doors Properly Closed and Sealed

Critical Safety Device- Heat Detector

Intrinsically Safe Junction Box

Keep Belts in Correct Alignment

Grinders, Pulverizers, and Hammer Mills

100 hp MotorHeat sensors

Vibration sensors

Sensors tied to shutdown

Grinders, Pulverizers, and Hammer Mills

Magnet Housing

Clean Daily

Regular Checks of Hydraulic Pump

Grain Vacuum & Hose Properly Grounded

Rotary Cleaner Over Travel Switch

Check Oil Levels in Gear Reducers

Leak Back- Oil Dripping off the Junction Box

Motor Cooling Fan Damaged

House keeping- Dust on Beams and Ledges

Fire Extinguishers Maintened

Unguarded Belts & Chains

Open Spouts and Chutes

Dust House Keeping

Electricity- the spark that ignites

Household wiring in a classified area

Stored Product is Stored Energy

Flat Bottom Steel Bin Collapse

Bin Collapse Weather Related

Poorly Supported Unanchored Bin

Fertilizer Bin

Special Considerations for Fertilizer Bins

Bearings and Seals- Grain Covering Bearing

Keep Things Clean

What we would like to see.

Housekeeping- Dust Storm

Dust Bomb Waiting for Ignition

House KeepingPotential for Dust Explosion

Enclosed/ Confined Space Oxygen (Air)

Ignition Trigger•Electrical•Mechanical•Outside/ Man Made

BOOM!

Dust in Suspension

Ignition Triggers

• Heated Grain/ Spontaneous Combustion• Electrical Short/ Spark• Static Electric Spark• Lightning Strike• Friction Heat• Open Flame• Hot Work

Hot Work

• Hot Work is any operation that involves heat or flame. These operations are a considerable risk in a dust ignition sensitive environment.

Cutting Welding Brazing Grinding/Drilling

Hot Work Protocol

•Done under strict precautions in dust ignition classified areas

•Employees have a true understanding how to conduct a hot work event

•Each event should be done under Hot Work Permit Restrictions

•Fire Watch- done for an adequate amount of time after the job is completed. Live embers can lay dormant for up to 8 hours.

Considerations:

• Alternative- Can the job be done any other way?– Saw Cut– Bolt– Rivet– Crimp– Tie/Strap– Remove and weld away

Hot Work Precautions

• CLOSE DOWN ALL ADJACENT OPERATIONS

• VENTILATE AREA OF AIRBORNE PARTICLES AND VAPORS

• CLEAN AREA OF DUST AND RUBBLE

• DAMPEN FLOORS

• PLUG/ CLOSE SPOUTING, ELEVATOR LEGS, OPENINGS

• KEEP A WATCHPERSON ON THE JOB

• AFTER OPERATION IS FINISHED INSPECT AREA

• CONTINUE FIRE WATCH, MIN 4 HOURS FOR INSIDE WORK

Fire Watch Orientation

• Thoroughly clean area of slag, dust, rubble• Check lower and upper levels for errant sparks• Clean check ledges and catch areas• Monitor temperature of work piece• Continue to wet down work area if necessary• Maintain firewatch until the work area is cool to

the touch and all evidence of hotwork is cleaned up

• Minimum fire watch(indoors) is 4 hours• Train the watch person!!

Don’t Forget the Warehouse Products in this warehouse were ignited when heat from the lighting caught the packaging on fire

30,000 liters of various pesticides, herbicides, and fungicides.

103 nearby residents were evacuated

Emergency responders had not updated their ER plan for 10 years

Responders initially tried to let the fire burn, but eventually put about 25,000 liters of water on it.

Other Facilities

Maintenance Shops

Dry Fertilizer Blending Facilities

Liquid Fertilizer Facilities

Anhydrous Ammonia Facilities

Trackmobile Garages

Fuel Storage Tanks- Diesel, Gas, Propane

Lightning Protection??

Clamped securely to withstand a 10# pull

Lightning Strikes Can Be AnywhereKeep All Lightning Protection Intact

Lightning Strike- Electrical Dispersion

Final Notes

• Follow fire safe procedures at your facilities.

• Promote best practices in safety and loss control with all location staff.

• Keep a positive attitude relating to safety and loss control practices.

• Nominate a staff member to “champion” safety and loss control efforts.

• Prepare for the worst, hope for the best.• Strive to be a “Best in Class” Facility.