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SILO
SAFETY
Dennis Blauser,
Marietta Silos,
discusses
protecting silo investments.
S
tories associated with storage
silo failures range from routine to
catastrophic, both in terms of loss
of property and, unfortunately, loss
of life. That is why routine silo inspections
must be part of any facility maintenance plan
at the highest managerial level.
People are now more aware that silos
need special attention, that there are
potential structural problems with silos,
and that when these do occur they can be
news- generating events.
Potential catastrophe may be hidden
beneath the surface of any silo, manifesting
in what looks to the untrained eye to be
simple weathering. Even though silos are
very good structures for storing materials,
they do have a lot of potential risks, if they
are not maintained and inspected regularly.
But in catastrophic failures, where silos
collapse, there are usually large property
losses and there can be safety issues with
injuries or fatalities associated with them.
Maintaining a planned inspection schedule
with a dedicated inspection team can
reduce the likelihood of catastrophic failure.
A firm schedule allows potential issues to
be identified early and well before the cost
drastically increases. Early detection of
problems streamlines effective and efficient
repairs so that workflow disruptions are
minimised.