NASHVILLE, Tenn. (RFD-TV) -- With record crops leaving fields, all that grain must go somewhere, and analysts report that grain storage is already a top priority for producers. For other agriculture industry leaders, the dangers of grain bin entrapment are also top of mind as harvest rolls on with record crops going into bins.
“I do think we have a lot of overrun this year -- a lot of crop that’s going to be stored,” explained Brian Hoops with Midwest Marketing Solutions. “Of course, a lot of it’s going to end up being sold because we just don’t have room for it on our on-farm storage. It gets taken into town and maybe converted into cash. Certainly, that’s going to weaken the basis and probably weigh on the futures as well. But then also you’ll have opportunities to re-own that back on paper if you choose.”
To help first responders stay prepared, the Illinois Fire Service Institute is offering hands-on training, giving crews a closer look at rescue techniques and how to identify dangerous situations before they turn deadly.
“We average about 25 to 30 engulfments in the United States every year -- and unfortunately, that number is going up,” said Dave Newcomb with the Illinois Fire Service Institute. “The other thing that might be interesting in this is that all of the people who got trapped in the bins here were all over the age of seven. Sixty percent of the fatalities are people trying to save someone else, and then we have a high majority — almost 50% of the incidents — happen on the family farm. So, you’re going to have family members and everybody else trying to save their loved one.”
Newcomb stressed the importance of education in avoiding entrapment situations. No matter your experience on the farm, he said, staying up to date on the best practices can make all the difference. His group currently offers two different training courses on grain bin safety and rescue techniques.
“We have an awareness level class that teaches the first responders what they can do on the outside of the bin if somebody’s totally under the surface of the grain,” Newcomb said. “One of the first things we do is we start cutting the bin open to drain the grain out to find them. If we have to go inside the bin to retrieve them, we use what’s called a rescue tube, a metal or plastic device. We put it around the patient and then use a small auger that runs off a drill. And we basically put that down around them and pull the drain out from inside the tube. So basically, we got to uncover them.”
Grain Bin Safety Week is held each year in February, but Newcomb recommended grain operators review safety guidelines each year around harvest time.
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