Marking the Unsafe Zone

#SAFETY: MARKING THE UNSAFE ZONE

Want an easy, effective way to keep employees and family away from the silage pile or bunker avalanche danger? Mark the UNSAFE ZONE with bright safety cones, but keep the reminder moving to keep it relevant and noticed. We all see posted signs for about two weeks, and then they fade into the landscape. With this method, the warning stays fresh and provides an everyday reminder to everyone.

  1. Measure the pile or bunker width and estimate the height (it should be only as high as your unloader can reach, but if not, make an educated guess).

  2. Divide the total width by 10. Purchase that many heavy duty, large safety cones.

  3. Multiply the pile height by 3. That’s how far from the face you will place the cones in a line parallel to the face edge of the pile. This is the UNSAFE ZONE.

  4. Assign the person who collects feed to move the cones daily when he or she is done feeding as far toward the face as the amount he or she has removed. This becomes the new UNSAFE ZONE.

  5. Physically show everyone who works at the farm or feedlot where the UNSAFE ZONE is and forbid them to walk or drive through it, except for the trained person(s) who are feeding.