Beneath the Surface: The Hidden Dangers of the Silage Pile
The Colorado Livestock Association is hosting the Safety in Agriculture webinar series, addressing hazards on farms and ranches each quarter. The first-quarter safety meeting on silage pit safety will be held on February 25 at 1:00 pm. Register at bit.ly/Q1CLA26.
It was a normal morning. The feed truck was warmed up, cattle were waiting, and a crew member climbed the silage pile to check the face — something he’d done countless times before.
Then the pile shifted.
Silage faces can collapse without warning. Thousands of pounds of packed feed can move in seconds, putting anyone nearby at serious risk. What feels routine can turn dangerous fast.
No one was badly hurt that day — but it was close enough to change how that operation approached silage pile safety.
Silage piles are essential to livestock operations across Colorado, but they also carry real risks:
• Face collapses and engulfment
• Equipment rollovers
• Falls from height
• Poor pile management increasing instability
Join us for the Q1 CLA Safety Training for a presentation by Dr. David Douphrate, Texas A&M School of Public Health, “Silage Pile Safety on Livestock Operations.”
It’s about practical steps producers and crews can take to reduce risk without slowing operations.
Because on a livestock operation, every decision matters.
And the most important asset you protect is your people.
Register at bit.ly/Q1CLA26. CLA Safety Group Members earn TWO training credits.
