The Granary Security Week will be held from February 20th to 26th, 2022. (USDA photo/Lance Cheung/USDA/Lance Cheung)
Waveland, Indiana — Anita Howard, the mother of a grain trap victim, has a mission to spread safety awareness.
She said that the best way is to talk about safety issues.
"Wifes need to remind husbands that parents need to talk to their children, and employers need to discuss with employees frequently," Howard said in the Movin' the Pile podcast. "Communication is the key."
According to a paper published by Purdue University researchers, in 2020, a total of 64 cases of agricultural confined spaces were recorded in the United States.
This included 35 grain traps, 7 accidents falling into or out of grain storage structures, 4 suffocation caused by hypoxia or toxic environments, and 12 equipment entanglement.
This means that grain trapping accounted for more than half of all recorded cases in 2020.
If the grain does not flow, the problem at hand is to remove the grain without putting anyone at risk of being trapped.
The following four suggestions may not always be the simplest or most profitable, but they can keep everyone safe.
1. Do not enter the trash can with signs of encrustation on the surface or inside the particles. If the grain has been removed from the structure and the surface does not flow to the outlet-stay away. This is a clear sign that a large gap has formed above the exit.
2. If there are any signs that the grain has gone bad or has gone bad, it needs to be moved immediately. Food storage will not improve, but will only worsen as the weather warms, leading to increased biological and insect activity.
3. Make all observations or unplug the power supply at the top access opening on the outside of the trash can. Likewise, if there are signs of scabs, deterioration or overheating, stay away. The risk is too great. In some cases, long tubes, steel bars, or other probes can be inserted into the grain block to break down the crusted grain or garbage that blocks the outlet. Pay attention to overhead power lines when handling these long probes.
4. If the grain has crusted, or the floor outlet is blocked, stop the grain removal according to the garbage bin manufacturer's recommendation, please contact a professional grain recycling service agency with experience and equipment to decompose and remove the grain in poor condition. These services are expensive, but they can save lives and save some food.
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Copyright © 2021 agrinews-pubs.com. all rights reserved. Published by Shaw Media in LaSalle, Illinois, USA.