LEESBURG - Local fire department and other rescue/first responder personnel attended a day-long session Saturday regarding rescue techniques for grain bin entrapment incidents.
Hosted by the Leesburg Fire Department, the session was presented by Steve Wettschurack, farm accident rescue instructor, Purdue University.
The morning session was an overview of the different types of entrapments, their causes and how they can be prevented. The afternoon was devoted to hands-on learning of rescue techniques.
Purdue University's Agricultural and Health Program has documented grain entrapment cases since 1978. A National Grain Entrapment Database documents cases back to 1964. Nearly 800 fatal and non-fatal cases have been documented.
In 2009, the states with the most grain documented entrapments, both fatal and non-fatal, were Minnesota (9), Iowa (5), Illinois (5) and Indiana (5). These type of cases occur primarily in corn belt states, with 13 states total having documented cases in 2009.
According to Wettschurack, there are four main types of entrapments: engulfment in a flowing column of grain, collapse of horizontal crusted grain surface, collapse of vertical crusted grain surface and entrapment or suffocation in grain transport vehicles. Outdoor grain storage piles also can avalanche, causing entrapment, and the growing use of grain vacuum systems have also resulted in entrapments. Forty-five percent of all entrapments involve corn.
"Farmers are a very independent breed," Wettschurack said. "They tend to work alone and by their own rules. Especially during harvest, there are those people that will take short cuts because of the schedule they have."
Preventing grain bin entrapments is the responsibility of the individual farmer. Wettschurack also stressed that grain transport wagons have been the cause of many entrapments involving children.
In spite of increased technology, the trend for grain entrapments, unlike many other farm-related injuries and fatalities, is not improving. This is due to many factors, such as more grain being grown and stored, the changing farm work force, many of whom have little or no farm experience, and increased production of ethanol.
Grain entrapment rescue procedures are specific and what Wettschurack stressed was safety for both the victim and the rescuers.
"Just because someone's buried, it doesn't mean they're dead," he said. "You don't pull on a victim, either. You can pop an arm or leg our of socket, and even cause paralysis."
When you know someone is entrapped, Wettschurack pointed out several steps needed to begin the process of rescue: do not enter the bin, shut down/lock out all equipment, contact 911 and local rescue immediately, turn on aeration fans to provide air flow through bin to aid in breathing for victim, and assemble all employees because manpower will be critical.
Specific methods for cutting open a grain bin, and the tools needed, were discussed and demonstrated during the afternoon session.
Donations to the training session were made by Al Gigous, Maple Leaf Farms, Deatsman Grain Farms, Clunette Elevator and Bishop Farms. These businesses also had employees take part in the sessions. Brock Bins donated all bin panels for training, and Liberty Rescue Tube donated $500.
