|
 The grain bins that will receive the big harvest are essential
to Illinois’ agricultural economy. But those bins also can be
deadly. Grain storage is a particularly dangerous area on family
farms and in other agricultural settings. Those tall, usually
metal or concrete silos that dot the landscape across our state
cost several farmers and other workers their lives every year.
“As the busy harvest season continues, it is vital that farmers
and other agricultural workers put safety first, especially when
working around grain-storage facilities,” said Michael Kleinik,
director of the Illinois Department of Labor. “Grain bin
incidents are also dangerous for first responders. IDOL reminds
fire departments that if they provide grain bin rescue response,
they must ensure their members are trained to perform this
service safely.”
Last year, nationwide there were 38 grain entrapment cases with
23 of those leading to fatalities, according to Purdue
University’s Agricultural Safety and Health Program, which has
documented these cases since the 1970s. Only three grain
entrapment cases were reported in Illinois for 2019. However,
safety experts believe that some non-fatal entrapments do not
get reported.
So far this year 11 grain entrapment cases have been reported in
Illinois with four fatalities, according to Dave Newcomb,
Agriculture Program Manager with the Illinois Fire Service
Institute in Champaign. Newcomb says a late harvest and wet
conditions last year caused problems this spring. Wet grain
tends to clump and not flow properly through the unloading
systems, which can lead workers to enter the bins to rectify the
situation. Corn in bad condition often leads to more grain bin
accidents.
Grain bin tragedies can literally happen in seconds. Moving
grain acts like quicksand. According, to the Occupational Safety
and Health Administration (OSHA), a worker standing on moving
grain will be trapped within just five seconds and completely
covered in grain within less than half a minute.
[to top of second column] |
OSHA details the three most common scenarios leading
to grain entrapment:
• A worker stands on moving/flowing grain typically caused by an
auger running or grain being moved out of the bin by gravity.
• A worker stands on or below a grain bridging situation. Bridging
happens when damp grain clumps together, creating an empty space
beneath the grain as it is unloaded. A worker above or below this
bridge of grain is at risk should the bridge collapse.
• A worker stands next to an accumulated pile of grain on the side
of the bin and attempts to dislodge it. It can collapse onto the
worker.
While workers should avoid entering grain bins if possible, safety
measures can greatly diminish the risk if they must enter. One of
the most important measures is to turn off and lock out all powered
equipment to the grain bin and tag it to remain off – known as Lock
Out/Tag Out.
“If famers shut off the loading systems before entering and do
enforce a lock out tag out system, we’d probably cut the numbers of
entrapments in half,” said Newcomb. “If the grain has the ability to
move, it will grab you. When I am working with the Illinois Farm
Bureau, I preach that we must break the culture of working alone. If
you are going out to the bin, take someone with you even if it’s
just to call for help.”
OSHA also says any worker entering a grain bin should be provided
with a body harness attached to a lifeline and an observer should be
stationed outside the bin to track the worker and call for help if
something goes wrong. OSHA notes that 60 percent of fatalities in
grain entrapments cases are would-be rescuers and about seven in 10
occur on family farms.
[ Illinois Office of Communication
and Information] |
