Farm Safety Upgrade: How Embrun Coop Improved Grain Handling with Engineered Solutions
In agriculture, safety goes beyond regulatory compliance—it is essential to protecting people, maintaining operational continuity, and supporting long-term performance. With this in mind, Embrun Co-op undertook a series of targeted repairs and upgrades at its grain elevators, focused on improving safe access to critical grain-handling equipment and enhancing maintenance efficiency. This proactive approach demonstrates how well-planned, voluntary improvements can reduce risk, minimize disruptions, and strengthen day-to-day operations—without compromising productivity.
The Challenge: Limited Access and Elevated Safety Risks
During our initial assessment of the grain elevator facilities, several areas were identified where access limitations and structural constraints increased safety risk and complicated routine maintenance tasks:
- South Tower: No safe access to the grain cannon boot located below the catwalk.
- North Tower: Servicing the chain conveyor boot was extremely difficult due to restricted access.
- Conveyor Head Section: Equipment positioned at the roof peak with no platform for the belt or motor maintenance.
- Dry Leg Platform: Narrow, unstable, and lacking full 360-degree access.
While Embrun Co-op was already meeting operational timelines, these conditions increased risk exposure for workers and limited the speed and ease of maintenance—particularly during peak harvest periods.
The Approach: Engineered, Long-Term Solutions
Rather than relying on temporary fixes, Embrun Co-op invested in engineered solutions designed for durability, compliance, and long-term use at its grain elevators:
- South Tower: A full wrap-around platform (approximately 10’ x 10’) equipped with handrails and a 10-foot ladder featuring a safety cage.
- North Tower: A matching wrap-around platform and ladder system to provide safe and consistent access.
- Peak Platform: A custom wrap-around platform for the 24' x 22R bin, allowing safe roof-level maintenance.
- Dry Leg Platform: Completely rebuilt to provide full 360-degree access with significantly improved stability.
All designs were reviewed and approved by engineers prior to fabrication, ensuring regulatory compliance, structural integrity, and worker safety.
The Results
The upgrades at the grain elevators were completed successfully, delivering stable, secure access points for maintenance activities. As a result, employees can now perform their work more safely and with greater ease, reducing exposure to risk and physical strain.
Although Embrun Co-op was already meeting its operational schedules, these improvements have made maintenance tasks faster, smoother, and more efficient, particularly during high-demand periods. The reduction in unplanned interruptions and safety-related constraints helps protect productivity while also improving overall working conditions.
Today, Embrun Co-op benefits from grain handling infrastructure that better supports both its people and its operations - providing peace of mind and long-term reliability.
Key Takeaway
Investing in professional engineered solutions, rather than improvised fixes, delivers measurable benefits in safety, efficiency, and operational resilience—especially in high-risk, high-demand agricultural environments.
The Real Cost of Farm Injuries and Downtime
- Average serious farm injury translates into 2-4 weeks of lost work. Canadian Agricultural Injury Reporting (CAIR) shows that easy year there are roughly 1500 serious farm injuries.
- According to CAIR, preventable farm injuries are estimated to cost Canada in the range of $400-$500 million per year, much of that due to lost workdays and reduced productivity on farms and in agri-businesses.
- Canadian farm-safety resources indicate that each dollar spent on prevention can return roughly $2-$6 to the bottom line through fewer injuries, lower premiums, and less unplanned downtime.
Engineering Excellence
Behind every successful safety upgrade is a team committed to precision and collaboration. Our in-house engineering and design team worked closely with Embrun Co-op to transform complex challenges into practical, compliant solutions. From initial site assessments to detailed platform layouts, every component was carefully modeled and reviewed to ensure durability, accessibility, and long-term performance. This partnership allowed us to deliver custom-engineered platforms that not only meet safety standards but also reflect the highest level of craftsmanship and attention to detail.
Download the Full Case Study
For a deeper look at the engineered solutions, design considerations, and measured operational gains achieved through this project, you can download the complete caste study below.
Contact Us
Have a similar project or want to learn more about how we can help you? Contact a team member today by calling 519 759 5880 (Brantford Office), or 613 652 1010 (Brinston Office), email sales@aci-industrial.com, or fill out the contact form below.