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Annual Grain Safety Audit

An annual audit before harvest is one of the easiest ways to prevent problems. This guide offers a general structure and points you to official sources for exact requirements.

Why do an annual grain safety audit?

Equipment ages, workers change and habits drift. A yearly review catches problems that build slowly and gives you a chance to repair or replace parts before the busy season.

A written record also shows that you took care and helps you plan. Pick a time before harvest and put it on the calendar.

Fall is a common time for an audit, but a spring review of storage and a pre-harvest check of equipment can both be useful. Choose times that fit your own schedule and stick to them.

Who should take part?

Include the people who use the system: owners, managers, workers and, where useful, family members who help. Fresh eyes notice things that familiarity hides.

Consider inviting a neighbor, your insurance advisor, an extension specialist or a local fire department member to join. Many are glad to help.

Give each person a part of the system to look at closely. Rotating who checks what from year to year brings new views and trains more people.

• Owners and managers
• Workers who use the system
• A neighbor or outside advisor

What should the audit cover?

Walk the whole system from field to storage and out again. Look at bins, ladders, roofs, hatches, augers, conveyors, dryers, fans, wiring, guards, lockout points, lighting, walkways, signs and emergency information.

Check the written plans and training too. Are the address and directions posted, are the rules clear and does everyone know them?

Take photographs of anything that concerns you, and note where it is. Pictures are helpful when you talk with a dealer, contractor or extension specialist.

• Bins, ladders, roofs and hatches
• Augers, conveyors and guards
• Wiring, fans and dryers
• Housekeeping and dust
• Signs, plans and training

How do I handle what I find?

Rank findings by seriousness and fix the most serious first. Take unsafe equipment out of service until it is repaired. Assign each task to a person and set a date.

Keep a list of what was found and what was done. Review it next year to see what has improved.

Be honest about what you cannot fix yourself. A contractor, electrician or manufacturer may be the right person for repairs, and some jobs should not be done by an untrained person.

• Rank findings by seriousness
• Assign each fix to a person
• Set a date
• Record what was done

Which official resources can help?

OSHA and NIOSH publish agriculture and grain handling safety materials. Extension offices at land-grant universities provide checklists, and some offer on-farm reviews. State occupational safety agencies may offer consultation services.

Ask what is available in your state and whether reviews are confidential.

If you employ workers, ask OSHA or your state plan whether any written programs, training records or notices apply. Requirements vary, and an official source can tell you.

• Ask what checklists exist
• Ask about confidential reviews
• Ask about state consultation services

What about training and drills?

Include a review of training in your audit. Does every worker know the no-entry rule, the first step in an emergency and how to report a hazard? Practice a pretend call so that people know what to say.

Ask your fire department about drills or a farm walk-through. Seek hands-on training for those who need it.

Test emergency information while you are at it. Do all workers know where the posted address is, who calls 911 and where the nearest first aid supplies are kept?

• No-entry rule understood by all
• First step in an emergency known
• How to report a hazard

How do I keep the habit going?

Make the audit a regular event, like servicing equipment. Combine it with other seasonal jobs, and tell the crew what was fixed. Ask workers what they see.

Update the plan whenever you add equipment, change buildings or hire new people. In an emergency, call 911.

If something changes during the season, such as an incident or near miss, do a short mini-audit rather than waiting a year.

Last reviewed: November 12, 2026. Written by the Farm Safety Editorial Team. See our editorial policy.