Smith says if a 165-pound individual is fully emerged in grain, it would require 900 pounds of lift pressure to pull him out of the grain, and lifting a submerged person can cause additional injuries. With two feet or more around the body, it would be extremely difficult to pull yourself out without assistance, and even with assistance there is high probability that it could take a considerable amount of time to free someone engulfed by grain. Safety officials say one foot of grain over an individual provides about 300 pounds of pressure. Even with assistance, it can be a monumental undertaking," Smith explained. "Once they are stuck, the behavior and weight of the grain make it extremely difficult for a worker to get out of it without assistance. In addition, grain that is too wet or in poor condition can cause pockets to form and these can collapse beneath a worker as he walks across the grain. Smith said moving grain acts like quicksand and can bury a worker in seconds. He said most incidents occur when grain is being moved or transported and someone enters a bin to walk down the moving grain or is buried by falling grain that was bridged to the walls and suddenly collapsed. After about 25 seconds, he would be completely engulfed," Smith warned. As one example, if the auger is moving grain at 68 bushels per minute, with a six foot tall man weighing 165 pounds standing inside the bin, it only takes about five seconds before he gets trapped. "One thing we need to be aware of is just how quickly a man can be trapped in flowing grain. Texas AgriLife Extension specialist David Smith, one of the conference presenters, told producers that a growing percentage of engulfment cases come from facilities that are exempt from Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulations. Grain bin safety and the dangers associated with engulfment and entrapment were the central theme of a special Coastal Bend Grain Storage and Handlers Safety Conference at the San Patricio County Fairgrounds Civic Center in Sinton April 23. In addition to engulfment, grain bin mishaps also include the risks of exposure to toxic fumigants, potential for unexpected fires and the threat of explosions caused by the build-up of combustible grain dust. In 2014, as of mid-March, two fatalities and at least two serious injuries have resulted across the nation from grain bin mishaps.įor more on farm safety and other issues, please check out Southwest Farm Press Daily and receive the latest news right to your inbox. According to researchers at Purdue University, more than 900 cases of grain engulfment have been reported with a fatality rate of 62 percent over the past 50 years. Working in or around a grain bin exposes farmers and storage workers to serious and life threatening hazards, including fires and explosions caused by grain bin dust accumulation, suffocation from engulfment and entrapment, and crushing injuries and even amputations from grain handling equipment.Īccidents associated with grain bins are nothing new.
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