Cooperative Living May 2024 - 10

SAFETYSENSE
Rural
Rescue
How grain bin safety
training can save lives
by Nicole Zima, Virginia Farm Bureau Federation
I
n Virginia's heaviest grain-producing
regions, people oſt en tell stories of
farmers who have had close calls
while working in or around grain bins.
Virginia Farm Bureau Federation
board member Leigh Pemberton
remembers a near-tragic grain entrapment
in Hanover County about
20 years ago.
" A farmer went down into a grain
tank of corn, " he recalls. " He was a
good-sized man, and they had a hard
time getting him out. Th ey had ropes
around him, and it was really a struggle.
I think they even had to unload part
of the tank, but eventually
they did get him out. "
A Purdue University
report on agricultural
confi ned space-related
injury and fatality cases
in 2022 found 42 reported grain-related
entrapments, representing a 44.8%
increase over 2021 - the highest
number of entrapments in over a decade.
Fortunately, only 36% of the cases
involved fatalities, dipping lower than
the fi ve-year average.
SAFETY FIRST
Awareness and safety training may
be helping. Last year Hanover County
Farm Bureau donated a grain rescue
kit and hands-on training to Hanover
County Emergency Medical Services.
Henrico Technical Rescue Team
personnel conduct
training with a grain
bin extrication
apparatus provided by
VFBF's Farm Safety
Advisory Committee.
Coordination with farm operators
allows responders to better understand
potential hazards when assisting with
an on-farm emergency. Henrico
County's specialty unit is trained
for unusual rescue situations like
extractions or confi ned space incidents.
Former Lt. Charles Smith of
Henrico Firehouse 1 leads a training
series at Engel Family Farms in Hanover.
He explains to unit trainees that not
all farmers in the region have access
to modern, safe equipment like they
have at Engel.
Some farms, particularly smallerscale
ones, " don't have the updated
equipment with safety features, "
Smith says.
The Great Wall of Rescue can be placed
around an entrapped worker, while responders
use a drill-powered auger to remove the
surrounding grain.
8 * Cooperative Living * May 2024
Safety educators from RescueTechs
LLC in Pennsylvania oſt en demonstrate
Th e Great Wall of Rescue for farmers.
Th e device's panels can be interlocked
around an entrapped worker, and
responders can use a drill-powered
auger to remove the surrounding
grain for safe extrication.
Matt Brett, assistant chief at
City of Allentown EMS, and
co-instructor Patrick Deegan lead
the demonstration using a large tub
of grain in an exhibition hall. Brett
steps into the grain to show how
quickly his leg gets immersed.
" Some counties have purchased
these devices, and we're getting the
word out on why it's important to
have these and be trained on how
to use them, " Brett explains.
*
Learn more about Farm Bureau safety
resources at vafb.com/safety.
co-opliving.com
PHOTO COURTESY VIRGINIA FARM BUREAU FEDERATION
http://www.vafb.com/safety http://www.co-opliving.com
Cooperative Living May 2024

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Cooperative Living May 2024
