Silo MOT app launched to help prevent farm accidents

Farmers are being encouraged to assess their feed silos using an online app and maintain their stores to prevent health and safety concerns.

A Suffolk farmer was killed last year after he became submerged by grain in a storage silo.

Anecdotal reports from feed delivery drivers and farmers also suggest many near misses go unreported as a result of silos falling into disrepair, being placed on incorrect foundations and generally not being maintained.

The SiloMOT app has been developed by the Agricultural Industries Confederation, Farm Safety Foundation and NFU to help farmers maintain silos and address any corrosion or damage issues before they become critical.

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Speaking at Dairy Tech, Gary Rudd, technical manager at the AIC, said: “Structurally compromised silos are a real danger to feed delivery drivers and farmers and a tool such as SiloMOT, while only self-assessment, is one step closer to assurance and accident prevention.”

If a silo has questionable structural integrity, it is at greater risk of collapse when feed is being pneumatically blown into it.

The app is suitable for all silos and can be downloaded from the Apple App Store. It consists of a short survey to assess the critical structural elements of the silo. A report will then outline if any remedial work is required to keep the silo safe.