On the preparation of grain drying complexes for the grain harvesting campaign and fodder harvesting

The Russian proverb "prepare the sleigh in summer, and the cart in winter" says that you need to prepare for everything in advance in order to be ready at the right moment. This worldly wisdom is very well suited to the preparation of grain drying complexes for the beginning of the 2024 harvesting campaign.

A grain cleaning and drying complex (hereinafter referred to as the SPA) is a set of equipment designed for post-harvest processing (cleaning, drying) of grains, legumes, cereals and provides for comprehensive mechanization of cleaning, drying and loading and unloading operations. The KYC includes various equipment, but the heart of the complex is the drying department. In it, the grain collected from the fields is dried to the required moisture, which further contributes to the long-term and safe storage of grain.

More than 120 seasonal agricultural gas-consuming installations are registered in the Vitebsk Regional Department of Gospromnadzor. The industrial safety requirements for organizations operating gas distribution system and gas consumption facilities are established by the Rules for Ensuring Industrial Safety in the Field of Gas Supply of the Republic of Belarus, approved by the Decree of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of the Republic of Belarus dated 05.12.2022 No66 (hereinafter referred to as the Rules).

As the experience of previous years shows, when preparing seasonal installations for work during the harvesting campaign, business entities commit a number of typical violations of industrial safety requirements.

Here are some of them:

• current repairs of gas pipelines and gas equipment and automation systems of the WSK and scheduled preventive maintenance of the WSK and auxiliary equipment have not been carried out;
• there are no documents confirming the qualifications of workers servicing potentially hazardous facilities;
• there are no certificates for workers operating gasified grain drying complexes for the right to service potentially hazardous facilities;
• the knowledge of maintenance personnel on industrial safety issues was not tested;
• there is no act of a specialized organization on the inspection of the technical condition of smoke ducts;
• there are no technological instructions and labor protection instructions for persons engaged in the technical operation of gas distribution system and gas consumption facilities.

Importantly! In accordance with paragraph 344 of the Rules, the operating organization must ensure:

• testing of employees' knowledge of industrial safety issues;

• maintenance and current repair of gas pipelines

  and gas-using equipment (to conclude contracts with an organization licensed to carry out activities in the field of industrial safety, for the maintenance and repair of internal gas pipelines, gas-using installations, performing these works on a contractual basis, if the operating organization does not have its own gas service);

• checking the serviceability of automation and alarm systems;

• scheduled preventive maintenance of

  gas-using and auxiliary equipment;

• inspection of smoke exhaust and ventilation systems with the execution of an act;
• checking grounding devices and lightning protection.

ATTENTION! Removing the plug and starting the gas is allowed only if there are documents confirming the performance of these works.

In order to prevent the disruption of the grain harvesting campaign and fodder harvesting in 2024, to provide methodological assistance and conduct explanatory work, business entities are invited to contact the Vitebsk Regional Department of Gospromnadzor in order to organize and conduct control (supervisory) measures at the request of the inspected entity in accordance with paragraph 23 of the Decree of the President of the Republic of Belarus of 16.10.2009 No 510 "On improving control (supervisory) activities in Republic of Belarus".

If you have any questions about the procedure for launching seasonal equipment, please call 8 (0212) 48-07-23.

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