Silo, Bunker and Hopper Safety

GEN-SR-5110

Revision: 0 Date: 01/01/2020

Submitted: /s/ Chase Smith Safety Coordinator

Reviewed: /s/ Chris Dodds Manager, Generation Safety

Reviewed: /s/ Kelly Bradley Director, Safety

Approved: /s/ Derek Bell /s/ Kevin Noblet /s/ John Bridson
S Dir, Safety & Training VP, Safety & Ops Planning VP, Generation

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Revision List

Rev Number Date Comments

0 01/01/2020 Issue for use.

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1. Purpose

1.1. This document establishes a standardized method for safely working in and around silos,
bunkers, hoppers or other structures that, when accessed or opened to the environment,
present an engulfment and/or respiratory hazard to employees and contractors.

1.2. Level detectors that include nuclear materials are used in some silos and bunkers; this
hazard is addressed in GEN-SR-6113: Radiological Source Safety Awareness.

2. Scope

2.1. This document applies to all Evergy employees and visitors when at any Evergy Generation
facility or while performing Generation duties.

2.2. Contractors that do business with Evergy Generation shall comply with the Contractor
Safety Requirements (CSR) document.

2.3. If local, state or federal laws and/or regulations pertaining to any given condition are more
stringent than the Evergy rule, the more stringent law or regulation shall take precedence.

2.4. This rule establishes an approved, standardized understanding of the role of personnel at
Generation facilities in the safe entry, access, and cleaning of silos, bunkers and hoppers in all
plant situations. This rule is not intended as a replacement guideline for Confined Space Entry;
see GEN-SR-4104: Confined Space Entry for guidance on Confined Spaces.

2.5. This rule does not address the actions for fighting a fire in a silo, bunker or hopper. See
GEN-SP-4106-01: Extinguishing Coal and Coal Dust Fires for guidance on fighting coal and
coal dust fires.

3. References

3.1. OSHA Laws and Regulations

4. Definitions

4.1. Bunker – a large bin or receptacle for storage of bulk material.

4.2. Engulfment – the surrounding and effective capture of a person by a liquid or finely divided
(flowable) solid substance that can be aspirated to cause death by filling or plugging the
respiratory system or that can exert enough force on the body to cause death by strangulation,
constriction or crushing.

4.3. Fly ash – a fine-grained, powdery particulate material that is carried off in the flue gas and
usually collected from the flue gas by means of electrostatic precipitators, baghouses or
mechanical collection devices such as cyclones. The properties of fly ash allow it to flow like
water, and can easily become airborne during handling which can present respiratory hazards
when inhaled or ingested.

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 4.4. Hopper – a container, normally funnel-shaped, in which materials, such as lime, ash or coal
are stored in readiness for dispensation.

4.5. Silo – a tall cylindrical structure in which materials, such as lime, ash or coal are stored.

5. Responsibility

5.1. All Evergy employees and visitors shall comply with this document when at any Generation
facility or while performing Generation duties.

5.2. Appointed Evergy Representative (contract work) – an Authorized Employee who is

designated to oversee contractors. This can be an Operation or Maintenance Supervisor,
Engineer, Planner, union employees temporarily acting as a supervising foreman (e.g. Step-up
Foremen) or any other designated Evergy employee. The Appointed Evergy Representative is
responsible for coordination of work and briefings of contract personnel prior to the
performance of work on identified systems or structures at the individual plant site.

5.3. Foreman overseeing the work – is responsible for coordination of work and briefing workers
on any engulfment hazard prior to the performance of work on identified systems or structures
at the individual plant site. This shall include communication with Shift Foreman/Fuel Foreman
regarding work to be performed.

5.4. Site Safety Coordinator – is responsible for retaining documentation of Job Hazard
Analyses (JHA’s) and/or Job Briefings for identified systems or structures for which this
procedure applies.

6. Safety

6.1. None additional.

7. Instructions

7.1. CAUTION: The introduction of combustible dust to an empty silo, bunker or hopper can
result in an explosion when the air currents cause the dust to be dispersed within the empty
silo or bunker and an ignition source is present or introduced.

7.2. The foreman overseeing the work shall perform a job briefing in accordance with GEN-SR-
1103: Job Safety Planning with personnel involved in work on any site systems or structures
that may involve an engulfment hazard.

7.3. As instructed in GEN-SR-6113: Radiological Source Safety Awareness, prior to working

inside equipment such as a silo, bunker or hopper that is equipped with a sealed nuclear
source, its shutter shall be tagged in the closed position in accordance with GEN-SR-4202:
Legacy East Energy Control or GEN-SR-4302: Legacy West Energy Control (as applicable).

7.4. The length of time that a silo, bunker or hopper is to be out of service may create additional
hazards (see GEN-SR-4106: Fire Protection). Therefore, any change to the scheduled
activities shall reconsider the potential effects to personnel safety.

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 7.5. When work is being performed in a silo, bunker or hopper:

7.5.1. Ensure that the LOTO is applied in accordance with GEN-SR-4202: Legacy East Energy
Control or GEN-SR-4302: Legacy West Energy Control (as applicable) and includes
isolating nitrogen and/or CO2 to ensure neither gas is introduced into the silo, bunker or
hopper while the work is in progress.

7.5.2. Any associated dust collector components shall be directed away from the out of service
silo, bunker or hopper.

7.5.3. The silo, bunker or hopper shall be isolated using mechanical isolation devices (gates
and feeder doors) and/or installed blanks.

7.6. When accessing doors or hatches to a silo, bunker or hopper that may contain coal and/or
coal dust, verify that the vessel is empty if possible; then open the door slowly to avoid
dispersing the dust as this could result in a dust explosion or could feed a smoldering coal fire.

7.7. Silos, bunkers and hoppers that normally contain flammable material such as coal shall be
washed out prior to any hot work inside.

7.8. For each job briefing, discussion of contingency plans shall be included for emergency
response to an engulfment and location and types of firefighting equipment.

7.9. Personnel involved in confined space work shall discuss location of and use of emergency
response equipment to be pre-staged at the job site.

7.10. For contracted work, the Appointed Evergy Representative shall consult with the Shift
Foreman for scheduling of work and any necessary plant personnel involvement prior to work
on any of the individual site systems or structures that may involve an engulfment hazard.

7.11. The Appointed Evergy Representative and the Shift Foreman or Fuel Foreman shall visit
the site where the work is to be performed and discuss potential and existing engulfment
hazards, the recommended PPE and any other administrative or engineered safety
precautions to be taken.

7.12. The Appointed Evergy Representative shall brief assigned contractors on the potential or
existing hazards for the work including the properties of the material that presents the hazard
and documented on the appropriate job briefing form.

7.13. Employees assigned to or directing work on silos, bunkers or hoppers shall have a ready
means of communication for emergency response situations.

7.14. The supervisor of the work shall be contacted if the job conditions change and shall notify
the employees who will be performing the work that the job conditions have changed and if
additional PPE is needed for the job.

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 7.15. If the silo, bunker or hopper has been emptied, operating personnel (and employees
performing work if applicable) shall verify each shift that the mechanical isolation device is not
leaking through to the out-of-service silo, bunker or hopper.

7.16. When entering a silo, bunker or hopper that contains material, it shall be entered as a
permit required confined space in accordance with GEN-SR-4104: Confined Space Entry.

7.17. Explosion hazards (static discharge, sparking tools, smoking, non-explosion proof lights,
open flames, etc.) shall not be permitted in areas where there is any possibility of a coal-dust
explosion.

7.18. Respiratory equipment shall be worn when conditions warrant.

8. Documentation and Recordkeeping

8.1. Generation Safety will maintain this rule. The original will be stored electronically by
Generation Safety and a copy will be available for use on the Safety website. A signed hard
copy will be maintained by Generation Safety. There will be no other hard copies produced or
maintained. This rule shall be reviewed periodically by Generation Safety in accordance with
department policy. Superseded revisions shall be archived in accordance with corporate
policy.

8.2. To request a revision to this rule, see your supervisor or Safety Coordinator.

9. Attachments

9.1. None.

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