On the preparation of grain drying complexes for the grain harvesting campaign and fodder procurement.
The Vitebsk Regional Department of Gosgortechnadzor informs about the need to comply with industrial safety requirements when preparing seasonal gas-using units for operation, which provide heating of air for grain drying complexes.
There are over 60 enterprises in the Vitebsk region that have about 130 seasonal grain drying complexes on their balance sheets. These complexes include heat generators that run on gaseous fuel and are, in accordance with the Law of the Republic of Belarus of January 5, 2016 No. 354-Z "On Industrial Safety," potentially hazardous facilities (hereinafter referred to as PHFs).
Inspectors of the Vitebsk Regional Department of Gosgortechnadzor annually conduct inspections of all potentially hazardous facilities that ensure the functioning of grain drying complexes, the operation of which is planned for the current year's harvest campaign.
As past experience shows, when preparing seasonal units for operation during the harvest campaign, business entities commit a number of typical violations of industrial safety requirements.
Here are some of them:
- current repairs of gas pipelines, gas equipment, automation systems of grain drying complexes, and planned preventive maintenance of grain drying complexes and auxiliary equipment have not been carried out;
- documents confirming the qualifications of workers servicing potentially hazardous facilities are missing;
- workers operating gasified grain drying complexes do not have certificates for the right to service potentially hazardous facilities;
- knowledge of the maintenance personnel on industrial safety issues has not been checked;
- an act from a specialized organization on checking the technical condition of smoke channels is missing;
- technological instructions and labor protection instructions for persons engaged in the technical operation of gas distribution system and gas consumption facilities are missing.
Important! In accordance with paragraph 344 of the Rules for ensuring industrial safety in the field of gas supply, approved by the Resolution of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of the Republic of Belarus of December 5, 2022 No. 66, the operating organization must ensure the following before putting seasonal gas-using equipment into operation:
- checking employees' knowledge of industrial safety issues;
and gas-using equipment (conclude agreements with an organization licensed to carry out industrial safety activities, for the technical maintenance and repair of internal gas pipelines, gas-using units, performing these works on a contractual basis, in the absence of its own gas service in the operating organization);
ATTENTION! Removal of the plug and gas supply are permitted only in the presence of documents confirming the completion of the specified works.
The most problematic issue is the admission of personnel to the maintenance of gas distribution systems.
In accordance with paragraph 13 of the Rules, operating organizations must ensure the availability of the number of employees required for the safe operation of gas consumption gas distribution system facilities, as determined by the project, who have undergone the necessary training and knowledge verification on industrial safety issues, including workers employed in blue-collar occupations, meeting the necessary qualification requirements, with the right to perform hazardous gas operations, trained in the rules for using personal protective equipment, methods of providing first aid, having no medical contraindications for the specified work, and admitted in the prescribed manner to independent work.
In order to prevent disruption of the 2025 grain harvesting campaign and fodder preparation, to provide methodological assistance and conduct explanatory work with economic entities, it is proposed to contact the Vitebsk Regional Directorate of Gospromnadzor to organize and conduct control (supervisory) measures upon the request of the audited entity in accordance with paragraph 23 of Decree of the President of the Republic of Belarus No. 510 of October 16, 2009 "On improving control (supervisory) activities in the Republic of Belarus".
For all questions regarding the procedure for commissioning seasonal equipment, please contact by phone: 8 (0212) 48-07-23.