Corteva Donates Grain Bin Rescue Equipment to Blockton FD

On Monday, Corteva, a national ag company, donated a grain rescue tube, a grain auger, and training for members of the Blockton, Grant City, and Sheridan Fire Departments, which will be able to use the equipment if needed.

Farmers can be submerged in grain bins in 10-30 seconds, and it takes about three hours for emergency services to rescue someone trapped in grain bins. 2010 was a record year for grain bin accidents, and 2019 is projected to be close behind. The good news is that whereas previously, 90% of all people trapped in grain bins were killed, with improved awareness and training, over 70% make it out. However, many people killed in grain bin accidents are not the person who was trapped in the bin to start with, but personnel who were trying to rescue them. Out of all people who died in confined space such as grain bins, 60% were people who were trying to rescue someone else. Monday’s training was focused on safe ways to getting to the victim without becoming another victim.

People of all ages have been trapped in grain bins. People as young as one year old and as old as 86 have been killed in grain bin accidents. And people don’t have to be in grain bins in order to be trapped in grain. Dan Neenan of the National Education Center, who conducted Monday’s training, said he knew of one case where a kid was playing inside a grain trailer, the father dumped grain in it not knowing that his son was playing in it, and didn’t discover his mistake until that evening.

There are 3.4 million farms in the US, and there are over 500 deaths each year from farming accidents, including 72 in Iowa alone. Out of those, around 100 are kids; Neenan said there was one such accident in his community that killed four kids. Around 100 farm workers a day suffer some kind of farming-related injury that requires time off of work according to the CDC.

Grain bins are particularly dangerous because they are hotter than outside, there is frequently a lack of oxygen, there are many ways to get trapped, and grain can pull you to your knees in seconds. Frequently, there is no way to contact the outside world from a grain bin, meaning it might be hours before someone finds you. Sometimes, grain may be stuck on the side of bins, only to trigger an avalanche when disturbed.

A 165 pound person who is trapped up to their waist needs 325 pounds of force to pull them out. Someone trapped up to their neck requires 625 pounds of force. And someone who is completely submerged requires 800 pounds of force.

When someone is finally rescued, it doesn’t always mean they are out of the woods. Crush injuries such as swelling, pain, shock, compartment syndrome, and loss of function can occur 15 to 60 minutes after being rescued from a grain bin accident. It is important to seek medical attention immediately, even if one is feeling OK at the moment.

After a dinner at the Blockton Community Building Monday, firemen simulated two rescues of victims trapped in corn, and learned how to use their new rescue tube and auger to relieve pressure on victims and allow them to escape. They also learned how to cut open a grain bin as well.

Blockton was one of only 20 fire departments across the country to get the rescue tubes and grain auger. There have already been 19 successful rescues with the new equipment. Worth County MFA donated the corn that was used in the exercise.