1910.272(m): Grain Facility Preventive Maintenance
Grain handling employers must carry out preventive maintenance, including regularly scheduled inspections of mechanical and safety control equipment on dryers, grain stream processing equipment, dust collection equipment and bucket elevators, plus lubrication per manufacturer or operating records. Faulty dust collection, overheated bearings and slipping or misaligned belts must be promptly corrected, inspections must be recorded, and lock and tag procedures must prevent accidental startup.
Key takeaways
- 1910.272(m) is part of OSHA's general industry standards (29 CFR Part 1910, Subpart R).
- OSHA cited it 38 times in the last 3 years, in 25 inspections, with $196,460 in current penalties.
- 1 death is linked to inspections that cited this rule.
- Most citations: NE (8), IL (6), WI (5).
- Related part: 1910.272(m)(1) (16 citations).
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In this article
What this rule covers
29 CFR 1910.272(m) ("Preventive maintenance") is one requirement inside 1910.272 Grain handling facilities, an OSHA general industry standard (Part 1910, Subpart R). It includes 6 sub-paragraphs. The official text below is copied word for word from the Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (eCFR). The numbers, injury cases and training on this page show how OSHA enforces it on real job sites.
Official text
(m) Preventive maintenance. 38 citations
(1) The employer shall implement preventive maintenance procedures consisting of: Open (m)(1) 16 citations
(i) Regularly scheduled inspections of at least the mechanical and safety control equipment associated with dryers, grain stream processing equipment, dust collection equipment including filter collectors, and bucket elevators; 9 citations
(ii) Lubrication and other appropriate maintenance in accordance with manufacturers' recommendations, or as determined necessary by prior operating records. 2 citations
(2) The employer shall promptly correct dust collection systems which are malfunctioning or which are operating below designed efficiency. Additionally, the employer shall promptly correct, or remove from service, overheated bearings and slipping or misaligned belts associated with inside bucket elevators. 5 citations
(3) A certification record shall be maintained of each inspection, performed in accordance with this paragraph (m), containing the date of the inspection, the name of the person who performed the inspection and the serial number, or other identifier, of the equipment specified in paragraph (m)(1)(i) of this section that was inspected. Open (m)(3) 10 citations
(4) The employer shall implement procedures for the use of tags and locks which will prevent the inadvertent application of energy or motion to equipment being repaired, serviced, or adjusted, which could result in employee injury. Such locks and tags shall be removed in accordance with established procedures only by the employee installing them or, if unavailable, by his or her supervisor. 7 citations
Source: eCFR, text current as of 2026-10-15. Read all of 1910.272.
Export the list: 25 inspections cited 1910.272(m) in the last 3 years, with employer, location, penalty and date.
Purple Belt, $59/moInjuries linked to this rule
1 death is linked to inspections where OSHA cited 1910.272(m).
At 10:30 p.m. on April 25, 2024, Employee #1 was pushing corn grain that was in a flat storage structure with a payloader. Employee #1 got out of the payloader and stood on a 3-4-foot-high pile of grain. Employee #1 was engulfed in grain and…
Where and how often it was cited
| Year | Citations |
|---|---|
| 2024 | 21 |
| 2025 | 9 |
| 2026 | 8 |
Top states: NE (8), IL (6), WI (5), MO (5), TX (4)
Largest penalties
| Employer | Location | Penalty for this rule |
|---|---|---|
| ARDENT MILLS, LLC | EASTON, PA | $55,000 |
| LEGACY COOPERATIVE | HEMINGFORD, NE | $38,616 |
| KEYSTONE FOODS LLC | CAMILLA, GA | $14,188 |
| SKYLAND GRAIN, L.L.C. | SUNRAY, TX | $13,877 |
| J.E. MEURET GRAIN CO. INC | BRUNSWICK, NE | $8,460 |
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A 5-minute crew talk on 1910.272(m), plus alerts when this rule changes. Free.
OSHA interpretation letters
None exist. OSHA has not published a letter of interpretation for 1910.272(m).
Related parts of this rule
- 1910.272(m)(1) 16 citations
- 1910.272(m)(3) 10 citations
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Frequently asked questions
What equipment must be inspected on a schedule?
At least the mechanical and safety control equipment associated with dryers, grain stream processing equipment, dust collection equipment including filter collectors, and bucket elevators.
What must the inspection record show?
The date, the name of the person who performed it, and the serial number or other identifier of the equipment inspected.
Who may remove locks and tags?
Only the employee who installed them or, if unavailable, his or her supervisor, following established procedures.
About this page
Sources
- 29 CFR 1910.272 (eCFR), text current as of 2026-10-15
- U.S. Department of Labor enforcement data: OSHA inspections, citations and accident records, copied nightly; data as of 2026-11-06
3-year window. Federal OSHA only; state-plan rules are not counted. Plain-language text is a summary, not legal advice; the official text controls. Black Belt Safety is not part of OSHA or the Department of Labor.