Silage clamp health and safety

[Cowski]

We have a typical old school silage clamp setup which we want to improve. It’s earth bank at the back with occasional springs then free standing pre-cast panels dividing the clamps.

The option we’re looking at is to put a sealed wall against the earth bank (drainage stone and drain to catch ground water) which is structurally easier than freestanding wall with a gap and also better for health and safety.

My question is how to make the dividing walls safe to work with? I personally don’t like safety rails as I think they are awkward to work around when doing side sheets and rolling the clamp and don’t think they give much protection. Do we just accept that a rail is the industry standard and install one to keep HSE happy or is there a better option?

 

[vantage]

We have a typical old school silage clamp setup which we want to improve. It’s earth bank at the back with occasional springs then free standing pre-cast panels dividing the clamps.

The option we’re looking at is to put a sealed wall against the earth bank (drainage stone and drain to catch ground water) which is structurally easier than freestanding wall with a gap and also better for health and safety.

My question is how to make the dividing walls safe to work with? I personally don’t like safety rails as I think they are awkward to work around when doing side sheets and rolling the clamp and don’t think they give much protection. Do we just accept that a rail is the industry standard and install one to keep HSE happy or is there a better option?

You’ve opened a can of worms here!
SSAFO regs state you need a perimeter drain to catch effluent, so earth banks not allowed( but ok in Scotland and NI!), if your clamp predates the regs, think it would be ok, any alterations then it’s got to adhere to the regs.
It’s bloody worrying here in Wales, the NRW have employed another 22 inspectors, just to go around farms , to check for “ compliance”.

 

[Scholsey]

Can have all the safety rails in the world but someone still has to stand near the edge when cutting sheets off/moving tyres etc

 

[davidroberts30]

Can have all the safety rails in the world but someone still has to stand near the edge when cutting sheets off/moving tyres etc

thinking about that it would be easy to make something to stop that.
if your clamp was 42ft wide get say 3 14ft yard gates and hinge them end to end in a straight line
telehandler brackets on the middle 1 and a ram to open and close them out

 

[Scholsey]

thinking about that it would be easy to make something to stop that.
if your clamp was 42ft wide get say 3 14ft yard gates and hinge them end to end in a straight line
telehandler brackets on the middle 1 and a ram to open and close them out

or just have a no falling off the silage pit allowed rule

 

[davidroberts30]

or just have a no falling off the silage pit allowed rule

i got that here but....

 

[Scholsey]

i got that here but....

I hope we may be entering a period where common sense may have to prevail purely because businesses won’t be able to afford insurance premiums to fund these huge payouts to people who did a stupid thing.

 

[Headless chicken]

or just have a no falling off the silage pit allowed rule

We implemented that after someone fell off a pit here. Policy works because he’s not done it again

 

[Farmer Keith]

We have a typical old school silage clamp setup which we want to improve. It’s earth bank at the back with occasional springs then free standing pre-cast panels dividing the clamps.

The option we’re looking at is to put a sealed wall against the earth bank (drainage stone and drain to catch ground water) which is structurally easier than freestanding wall with a gap and also better for health and safety.

My question is how to make the dividing walls safe to work with? I personally don’t like safety rails as I think they are awkward to work around when doing side sheets and rolling the clamp and don’t think they give much protection. Do we just accept that a rail is the industry standard and install one to keep HSE happy or is there a better option?

Your best option may well be not to touch it unless you’re willing to spend a considerable amount of money, we’re in the process of doing ours after an EA inspection but putting a roof over it on a grant as we go. 2 clamps 30ft x 105ft side by side, the earth banks have been replaced by panel walls around the outside and a central shuttered wall tied into the floor slab. Good strong job but it’s costing in the region of £120k with £47k to come back on the grant eventually.

 

[Cowski]

Thanks all, EA have been out on routine scheduled visit and not flagged anything as a problem but the clamps are a bit tired and really ought to be on the list for investment. No earth bank against the retaining back wall makes it really difficult on our site as the ground rises quite steeply so it either means a massive dig or loose clamp capacity.

 

[Farmer Keith]

Thanks all, EA have been out on routine scheduled visit and not flagged anything as a problem but the clamps are a bit tired and really ought to be on the list for investment. No earth bank against the retaining back wall makes it really difficult on our site as the ground rises quite steeply so it either means a massive dig or loose clamp capacity.

Presumably they’ve not flagged anything as it is pre 1991? The moment you touch anything it needs to be fully compliant with the regs. There is an option where you can lay panels onto the bank with gravel behind but the concrete slab needs to run under the bank with the perimeter drain in place.

 

[Cowski]

Presumably they’ve not flagged anything as it is pre 1991? The moment you touch anything it needs to be fully compliant with the regs. There is an option where you can lay panels onto the bank with gravel behind but the concrete slab needs to run under the bank with the perimeter drain in place.

Yes, old clamps