Tube Is New Rescue Tool

Grain rescue tube and training increase the survival chances for victims trapped in grain.

The Winside (Nebraska) Volunteer Fire & Rescue Department has a new piece of equipment that its members hope they’ll never have to use. But if a grain entrapment does occur, they’ll be better prepared, thanks to Purdue University and Liberty Rescue Systems.

“It’s comforting to know that the grain rescue tube is at our disposal if the need ever arises,” says Winside Fire Chief Don Skokan.

He applied for a Liberty Grain Rescue Tube last fall, after reading an article in Successful Farming magazine about an opportunity to receive a free tube and training. A grain rescue tube protects a partially trapped victim while the rescue is under way.

After Skokan was notified that Winside was the lucky recipient, Purdue University instructor Stephen Wettschurack conducted a daylong training program for about 50 fire and rescue volunteers from neighboring communities at nearby Loup City.

Three Winside volunteers, including Skokan, attended Wettschurack’s demonstration of the proper techniques used to rescue a victim. Skokan and the other volunteers plan to train their 30-member Winside Volunteer Fire & Rescue team this spring.

Winside’s Liberty Grain Rescue Tube will be on display at the annual pancake-omelet feed in Winside on February 10.

Grain safety advocates advise farmers to follow three hard-and-fast safety rules to avoid entrapments:

1. Don’t enter a bin when unloading equipment is running.
2. Install a lock-out/tag-out system to prevent unsafe entry.
3. Don’t enter alone.

If these protocols aren’t followed and an emergency occurs, a well-trained and well-equipped fire department is essential to extricate victims quickly and safely.

Purdue University conducted 75 trainings in 2012. “As I’ve traveled, I’ve seen the need for communities to obtain the proper equipment for rescuers,” Wettschurack says.

Out-of-condition grain contributes to entrapment. Last year’s drought led to more grain than usual harvested in September, when temperatures were warmer and insects were active. This grain may contain more broken kernels and fine material.

It may also increase exposure to dust, mold spores, and endotoxins. Disposable two-strap masks are recommended.

Purdue University’s Agricultural Safety and Health program has documented grain entrapments in the U.S. since 1978. Entrapments are increasing.

“The problem is likely to get worse, because farmers are building more and larger bins on farms than ever before,” says Bill Field, Purdue University Extension.

Source: Family - Successful Farming - Mid-February 2013