trapped in bin.

Found this on the web this morning, happy ending.
here

We try to be extra carefull when working in and around grain bins,, we keep a Partner saw and rope close by,, if you have an incident you don't have much time to go get things.. another thing to keep in mind,, and I don't want to insult any one on the EMS squad..but when you call 911 and they do get there they take over the scene,,and "If" they don't know what to do,, they loose precious time making up the best of several Ideas of rescue,,and even If you have equipment and more knowledge of what to do... you will not be able to assist....in our area the squads have very little knowledge of how to deal with a bin issue...so my Brothers and I have talked and thought out how to deal with this on our own as quickly as we can,,but best of all keeping the fear of it all fresh in mind to keep safe first...

(quoted from post at 08:44:36 01/15/20) We try to be extra carefull when working in and around grain bins,, we keep a Partner saw and rope close by,, if you have an incident you don't have much time to go get things.. another thing to keep in mind,, and I don't want to insult any one on the EMS squad..but when you call 911 and they do get there they take over the scene,,and "If" they don't know what to do,, they loose precious time making up the best of several Ideas of rescue,,and even If you have equipment and more knowledge of what to do... you will not be able to assist....in our area the squads have very little knowledge of how to deal with a bin issue...so my Brothers and I have talked and thought out how to deal with this on our own as quickly as we can,,but best of all keeping the fear of it all fresh in mind to keep safe first...

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Tim, having been on the Fire Dept Rescue for 40 years I have to agree with you. However, there is an easy way to make things work much better. I suggest that you contact your local rescue and ask them to come take a look at the potential problems at your farm. This invitation will result in them most likely trying to become informed before they even show up. Once they look things over and see your level of knowledge and preparedness they will most likely see that it will be good for them to plan to work with you in the event of an emergency. There will probably be some give and take and learning on both sides that will result in an increased likelihood of a good outcome should you need to call them.

If, on the other hand, you are concerned that inviting them in would result in a lot of problems, you may have some work to do to be ready for any sort of emergency.

Would someone please explain how this happens and how he got sunk in, and why it's difficult to get him out.

It surprises me that they don't make the bins with a dump port for emergencies. Granted a hole could be cut, but a dedicated safety hatch would be far better, and faster.

Granted someone who hasn't sunk, or is conscious, could be gotten out without dumping the contents of the bin. However, if the individual was over their head, passed out, injured, or whatever, a quick opening emergency hatch that would allow the contents of the bin to gravity flow out would be invaluable, and potentially a life saver.

That might be a safety feature that most small farmers (who often work alone) don't want to think about and will not pay the extra cost.

It?s like quick sand. It?ll bury you and suffocate you. And when you try to dig them out , it all wants to roll back into the hole. How it happens , just depends. What you see as the ?top? , may only be a crust , with voids underneath it. Also you can be overtaken by chemical or natural gasses. Add to that , the fact the farmer is often alone. It?s pretty dangerous.

Thanks BillinCentralMo

I cannot speak for soy, because I have never had a bin full of soybeans. I have been in a bin of corn. I can walk on corn without sinking, but then I never go in a bin that has had grain removed from the bottom. If the top was moist and maybe got some mold it can form a crust like ice that can break without warning if you walk on it. You fall thru, it caves in over the top of you or you hit the floor and break a few bones. You don't want to work alone and a rope and harness is not a bad idea. What people tend to forget is just how heavy grain can be. Think of a 50# bag of corn. Now imagine 20 or more of those falling on you at one time. I will never forget the first time I filled my old gravity box from the combine. All four tires went flat before it was half full.

Volunteered for rural EMS as EMT/A for 30 years. Had SOME bin rescue training, but thank God, I never was involved in one. We were taught, 1st thing, to get bin ventilation fans on to move air/oxygen to trapped person. Then determine rescue process.

If the grain is being pulled out it will suck you right down like being sucked in a vacuums only slower. You think you can stay ahead of it then get to working and before you know it your too deep to crawl out. At that point it just keeps pulling you in.

Getting the vacuum truck was/is some really great thinking. When bin rescue comes
around again will mention it.

It all happens so quickly....and no one is truly ready to deal with when it happens,,panic can grip all involved and that will cloud solid thinking...very similar to a fire,,but a fire is actually easier to deal with,,you can see it and know what your fighting with,,in a bin accident the poor guy is usually buried....the "Very Best" thing is not to let it happen in the first place,,we should all be aware of the dangers..and not take unnecessary risks,,,and I know that is easier said than done..

Billincentral. I've worked in bins all my life. Corn, beans and wheat. Never heard of being overtaken by chemical or natural gases. Can you explain that or find referance to that? Thanks. Never can have enough info on grain bin safety.

Only a fool would go in a grain bin.

A good bin of grain with no grain being taken out at the time is quite safe. Cones up, leveled off, or inverted cone, with nothing being taken out these are very safe to be in.

There are three ways to get trapped in a bin of grain.

1. The grain gets out of condition, wet/ moldy, and forms a crust on top. Some grain is removed from the bottom but the top crust holds together. A person walks out onto the crusty top, and it caves into the cave below.

2. Grain is being removed from the bottom and a person walks out into the bin. The grain being removed is like an hour glass, it swirls the grain down real slowly. But it will suck your feet in if you don?t move and trap you and suck you along down with the grain. You might think you can just keep moving and be fine, and maybe several 100 times that works, but just once, you don?t move for a while or the grain swirls different, and it traps your feet and you can?t get out, it slowly sucks you down. If your knees get covered it is extremely difficult to pull yourself out of moving grain, hard to imagine but it traps you much sooner then you think.

3. A vertical wall of wet or frozen grain forms as they empty the bin. Sort of like the crust in #1 but vertically. The wall gets pretty tall. Someone goes inside and pokes at the wall, it lets loose and slides down and covers you up. A person gets forgetful when you start working on a deal like this, and forgets how bad it would be if the grain falls down flat instead of little chunks coming off.... as well even working through a door from the outside if a wall of grain lets loose big enough it can splash out the door or even bust the sidewall if it whooshes down bad enough. Rare, but it happens.


Safety harness that keeps you hanging from the roof is very helpful, but if you look at #3 especially or the other 2 it isn?t perfect won?t save you in all situations. A side door doesn?t really work on the big bins, not enough grain cones out, fills up on the ground and that?s it. Or it?s too high and then it won?t let enough out either. The rescuers need to make the slit in the right place for that accident; you won?t have 27 safety doors around the bin to help for every possible entrapment. Doors weaken a bin, so they are expensive and problematic to add. Read, costly. It is much cheaper to just work safe.

The safety device is to put a barrel or cone around a person that is trapped in the grain, and then get the grain sucked or dipped out around the person the rescue cone or just plywood or whatever keeps more grain from filling in. You make a little well around the person. If the grain is around the chest, breathing becomes difficult and saving the person is not looking good. You need their chest back out quick, and you need the rest out to keep circulation going. That moving grain likes to pack in real tight and squeeze a person.

Paul

We poured insecticide into wheat bins. It was my understanding , if you inhale it , you will lose consciousness.