County extension agent offers safety tips for harvesting season

With harvest beginning to get hot and heavy prior to our storms last week, perhaps now is a good time to talk about harvest safety since we'll all be in a hurry once it gets dry enough again.

Flowing grain moves rapidly and is very dangerous. Large augers can transfer from two to four times as much grain as the augers of the past. Also, using automated equipment means that farmers often work alone when moving grain. Increased storage capacities, larger and faster handling abilities and automation contribute to numerous potentially hazardous situations during grain harvest and storage.

Suffocation, resulting from grain drowning, is probably one of the most common causes of death in and around grain bins. These accidents typically occur when the victim enters a bin of flowing grain, is unaware of the potential hazard, and is pulled under and covered with grain in a few seconds.

The typical round, flat-bottomed grain bin draws grain from the top center and forms a vertical cone when emptying. An 8-inch auger can transfer 3,000 cubic feet of grain per hour (52 cubic feet per minute). The human body volume, which is about 7 cubic feet, can be completely submerged in grain in about 8 seconds. Because of the tremendous force flowing grain exerts on the body, a person is totally helpless to escape once trapped knee-deep in the grain.

Crusted, spoiled grain can also result in grain bin suffocation. As grain is removed from the bin, a cavity develops under the crusted surface. Unsuspecting victims walk on the crusted grain, break through, become submerged in the grain, and suffocate.

If trapped in a bin of flowing grain with nothing to hold onto a person should try to walk and stay near the outside wall. Keep walking until the bin is empty or grain flow stops. Also, if you are covered by flowing grain, cup your hands over your mouth, and take short breaths. This may keep you alive until help arrives.

Reduce the danger of suffocation and other safety hazards by incorporating safety design features into the construction of a grain bin and by establishing safe operating procedures.

Make sure it is possible to turn off and lock the auger power switch, so no one can turn on the power while someone is working in the grain bin

Suffocation from flowing grain doesn't have to happen. Follow these safety rules to protect those working around grain:

* Never enter a bin when unloading equipment is running, whether or not grain is flowing.

* Keep children out of bins while unloading and loading. Forbid them to play in hopper wagons and on hoisted grain beds. Grain flow can cover them quickly, before anyone realizes what is happening.

* Don't enter a bin with unloading equipment without locking out the control circuit. Be especially careful around automatic unloading equipment.

* Always be cautious when working with crusted, spoiled grain. This grain can result in blockages, cavities, crusting, and grain avalanches.

* Beware of steep piles of grain. Dislodge the pile with a long pole, not a short shovel.

* Never count on a second person outside the bin to hear your shouted instructions. Equipment noise may block out or garble your calls for action or help. Also, the second person may fall or stumble in the panic and haste of climbing and running to shut down equipment. Always have three people involved when entering a questionable storage situation. It takes two people outside to lift one person from the inside on a rope and safety harness. Then, one can go for help, while the other gives preliminary aid.

* Always be cautious about walking on any surface crust. There's little chance of survival if the crust breaks and you plunge into flowing or hot grain.

When harvest resumes, please don't get in such a hurry that you put yourself, your family, and employees in danger. Happy Harvest!

Editor's Note: Delta George is a K-State Research and Extension agriculture and 4-H extension agent assigned to Bourbon County. She may be reached at (620) 223-3720.