Safety and Hygiene in Pellet Plants and Feed Mills

A practical guide with standards, studies and real cases

A wood pellet plant or feed mill puts in one place dust that can explode, machines that can catch a hand, silos where a person can be engulfed, and a product that ends up in people's food. This book brings together what you need to know to work safely: the hazards, what the regulations in each country require, and what to do in practice, with sources you can check.

It is written for owners, managers and supervisors of wood pellet, biomass and feed plants, and for anyone about to build one. Every chapter ends with a checklist and with what you should leave to a professional. It is not a machine adjustment or repair manual.

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All 12 chapters and 3 appendices in one file, ready to print or share with your team. Free with your Meelko account.

Chapters

  1. Chapter 1 Why safety is part of the business What you lose when an accident happens in a wood pellet plant or feed mill, what the industry numbers say, why safety doesn't come included with the machine, and how to use this book. 9 min read
  2. Chapter 2 The map of regulations Which safety and health regulations apply to a wood pellet plant or feed mill, what each one requires in plain language, how to read your own country's regulations, and what to ask the machinery supplier for. 13 min read
  3. Chapter 3 Combustible dust and explosions Why the dust in a wood pellet plant or feed mill can explode, which real cases prove it, what the regulations require, and what the five lines of defense are. 9 min read
  4. Chapter 4 Machines: guarding and lockout before you intervene Where the machines in a wood pellet plant or feed mill catch, cut and strike, what guards exist, why pressing the stop button is not enough before you put your hands in, and what a new machine should come with from the factory. 11 min read
  5. Chapter 5 Electrical hazards How electricity causes harm in a wood pellet plant or feed mill, what electrical panels, grounding and protective devices must have, why dust inside a panel is a double problem, what equipment can be installed in dusty areas, and who may work on an electrical installation. 10 min read
  6. Chapter 6 Noise and vibration Where noise comes from in a wood pellet plant or feed mill, how it is measured, what limits the United States, the European Union, Argentina and Mexico set, which controls work at the source, how to choose and use hearing protection, and what to do about vibration. 9 min read
  7. Chapter 7 Silos, storage bins and confined spaces What a confined space is and which ones exist in a wood pellet plant or feed mill, why people die in silos and storage bins (buried by the material or without breathable air), what the regulations of the United States, Brazil, Argentina and Mexico require, and how to organize a safe entry with a permit, gas monitoring and a rescue plan. 11 min read
  8. Chapter 8 Fires and self-heating Why stored wood pellets, sawdust and animal feed can heat up on their own until they catch fire, how to detect it in time, what to do (and what not to do) when there is a fire inside a silo, where fires start in the process, and what the plant's fire plan must include. 10 min read
  9. Chapter 9 Animal feed hygiene Why a mistake in a feed mill can end up on people's tables, what the regulations of the European Union, the United States, the Codex and Argentina require, what the four main hazards are (cross-contamination, mycotoxins, Salmonella and pests), and how to organize cleaning, traceability and records. At the end, a short section for wood pellet plants. 11 min read
  10. Chapter 10 Loads, postures and personal protective equipment How much weight is too much to lift by hand according to NIOSH and the law in each region, what to do about 25 to 40 kg bags and big bags, and which personal protective equipment is appropriate for each job in a wood pellet plant or feed mill. 11 min read
  11. Chapter 11 Training and safety culture What regulations require on training, what every operator must know before working alone, how to build an onboarding that works, why drills and records matter, and the supervisor's role in the plant's safety culture. 10 min read
  12. Chapter 12 The plant safety plan How to bring everything covered in this book together into a plan that works: the risk matrix, the annual plan, the daily records, audits and incident investigation. At the end, Meelko's free forms to start recording today. 9 min read

Appendices

  1. Appendix A Plant-wide checklist This brings together the checklists from all twelve chapters. Use it as an annual review or before starting up a new plant. Every question answered "no" is a task for the safety plan in chapter 12.
  2. Appendix B Glossary The terms used in this book, explained in a few words. In parentheses, the chapter where each one is covered.
  3. Appendix C Bibliography All the sources cited in the book, ordered by chapter. The links were checked in October and November 2026. Standards are updated, so confirm the edition in force before you apply them.

This book is a general guide. It does not replace the regulations in force in your country or the work of a qualified professional. The standards cited were checked in November 2026.

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