Auger accidents and grain bin entrapment pose biggest threats

By DAVE WILKINS

Capital Press

Every farmer has probably heard of at least one tragic accident involving a grain bin.

One such accident occurred several years ago near Soda Springs, Idaho.

A worker emptying a commercial grain bin had tied his safety rope to a sweep auger. He became entangled in the rope and was pulled into the auger. The machine severed an artery in his leg and he bled to death.

Evan Hayes still cringes when he thinks about it. It's an accident that shouldn't have happened.

Hayes, a semi-retired Soda Springs farmer who still does his share of harvest and grain handling work, tries to exercise caution whenever working in and around on-farm storage bins.

First, he tries never to go inside a bin when grain is being moved. When he does have to work inside a bin, he takes appropriate safety measures and makes sure he's not alone.

Regular maintenance chores such as repairing leaks are done prior to filling the bin, reducing the chances that he'll need to enter it during the storage season.

"It's just common sense maintenance," Hayes said.

In southeastern Idaho, it usually gets cold enough during the winter that insects aren't much of a problem in grain storage.

But if fumigation is needed, extra precautions need to be taken. Fumigants are toxic to humans when inhaled, swallowed or absorbed through the skin.

"If you use a fumigant you have to make sure that you follow the label and be very careful," Hayes said.

With harvest already under way in many parts of the country, grain bins are beginning to fill and producers need to be aware of the dangers, said Dee Jepsen, Ohio State University Extension state safety leader.

"In the past 10 years, Ohio has experienced 19 fatalities from grain engulfments," Jepsen said.

"Once a person is up to their knees in flowing grain, they're basically trapped," she said. "It's like quick sand. It pulls you in."

The average person, with a body volume of about 7 cubic feet, can be completely submerged in grain in 8 seconds.

Before entering a grain bin, producers should ask themselves a question, Jepsen said. "Do you really need to enter that confined space, or can you do your job without going in?"

Her first rule is this: If you have to enter a grain bin, don't do it alone.

Have a second person at the top of the bin to monitor what's going on and a third person on the ground so they can go for help if needed.

In Ohio, new grain bins are "popping up all over," Jepsen said.

With commodity prices edging higher, many Midwest growers will be tempted to hang onto their grain a little longer and put it into storage on the farm, she said.

"For economic reasons, growers are wanting to hold their grain longer," Jepsen said.

In the Pacific Northwest, there may be added pressure this winter for growers to keep their grain in storage a little longer, since the locks on the Columbia-Snake River system are scheduled to be closed for repairs for at least three months beginning Dec. 10.

Here are some additional safety tips offered by the University of Missouri Extension:

* Always be cautious when working with crusted, spoiled grain. There's little chance of survival if the crust breaks and you plunge into flowing or hot grain.

* Wear close-fitting clothing when working near power augers. Loose clothing can become caught in moving parts and draw you into the auger.

* Have guards and shields in place on augers to decrease the chances of getting caught in moving parts. Per hour of usage, augers are one of the most dangerous types of farm equipment.

* If you become trapped in a bin of flowing grain with nothing to hold onto but are still able to walk, stay near the outside wall. Keep walking until the bin is empty or grain flow stops. If you are covered by flowing grain, cup your hands over your mouth and take short breaths. That could keep you alive until help arrives.