While grain handling is a daily business for most farmers, it is also one of the more dangerous tasks. Working in and around grain bins can lead to serious injury or even death. Keep your farm grain-safe with education, planning and common sense.
How Entrapment Occurs
Grain entrapment is a terrifying situation that can occur when someone enters a bin and grain begins to move. Knowing how to avoid it is essential for every farmer. Here’s how it happens:
- A person stands on the surface of the grain, and the grain is drawn out from underneath.
- A person walks across the surface of grain where a void exists beneath the surface.
- When spoiled, solidified walls of grain inside a bin collapse on a person.
Entrapment Prevention Strategies
- The best preventative measure against entrapment is to avoid entering a grain bin entirely.
- Take the time to teach children about the dangers of entrapment, remove ladders and lock all openings to your grain storage.
- Consistently monitor the grain to eliminate spoilage and solidification.
- The Canadian Agricultural Safety Association (CASA) suggests always working in and around grain bins with another person, and if it’s necessary to enter, always wear a safety harness with a lifeline.
Do you have a plan?
CASA encourages farmers to have a safety plan in place that identifies all potential risks and hazards in every section of the farm, as well as the safety responses. For information about farm safety and creating your own safety plan, visit casa-acsa.ca.
A variety of tools are available to make your job easier and safer. Co-op is committed to providing our customers with the safety solutions they need for a productive harvest. Your local Co-op Equip Team is trained in accident prevention and safety education and can provide you with advice specific to your safety concerns.