Serving the Big Horn Basin for over 100 years
Serving the Big Horn Basin for over 100 years
Connie Werbelow of the Farm Service Agency in Greybull shows how quickly a person can get buried in grain if they are in a bin when the door is open as "Lucy" gets buried quickly (four seconds up to the knees and 20 seconds fully engulfed) during the Women's Ag Expo demonstration.
Worland Fire Department Lt. Troy Nelsen puts the last panel in place surrounding Connie Werbelow, while Worland Fire Capt. Erich Berryman discusses how the firefighters extract someone stuck in a grain bin during the Women's Ag Expo at the Washakie County Fairgrounds.
WORLAND - Grain bin safety was a highlight of the Washakie County Women's Ag Expo in Worland last month.
Connie Werbelow of the Farm Service Agency in Greybull discussed how a person standing in a grain bin when grain is poured out can be buried up to their knees in four seconds and fully engulfed in grain by 20 seconds. She said the time did not seem to differentiate much with different types of grain.
During the presentation, Werbelow invited Worland volunteer firefighters Tony Nelsen and Erich Berryman to demonstrate the equipment they use to extract someone from a grain bin. They showed panels that they insert into the bin around the person, noting that the person then must use a bucket to remove the grain from inside panels. They then use harness to pull the person out of the bin.
They noted having the person tie a rope around the waist or under the arms and trying to pull them out can do more damage.
The University of Wyoming Extension Service offers these tips on grain bin safety:
•Whenever possible, don't enter a grain bin. If you must enter the bin, as a farm owner/operator you should:
•Break up crusted grain from the outside of the bin with a long pole. When using a pole, check to see that it doesn't come into contact with electric lines.
•Wear a harness attached to a properly secured rope.
•Stay near the outer wall of the bin and keep walking if the grain should start to flow. Get to the bin ladder or safety rope as quickly as possible.
•Have another person, preferably two people, outside the bin who can help if you become entrapped. These people should be trained in rescue procedures and should know and follow safety procedures for entering the confined space.
•Grain fines and dust may cause difficulty in breathing. Anyone working in a grain bin, especially for the purpose of cleaning the bin, should wear an appropriate dust filter or filter respirator.
•Stay out of grain bins, wagons and grain trucks when unloading equipment is running.
•If it is necessary to enter the bin, remember to shut off the power to augers and fans. It is a good idea to lock out any unloading equipment before you enter a bin to prevent someone from unintentionally starting the equipment while you are in the bin.
•Children should not be allowed to play in or around grain bins, wagons or truck beds.
•Where possible, ladders should be installed inside grain bins to for an emergency exit. Ladders are easier to locate inside a dusty bin if there are brightly painted stripes just above or behind the ladder.
