By KAREN BINDER
Illinois Correspondent

OKAWVILLE, Ill. — As Washington County, Ill., mourns the loss of a young farmer and basketball standout, the farming community is reminded of the need for extra precautions to avoid accidents when working on the farm.

Nick Rennegarbe, 27, of Addieville died Sept. 29 after he fell into a corn bin at the family farm and suffocated, Coroner Thomas Coy said. He had been working with his uncle on top of the bin and had slipped toward the middle of the bin as he was shoveling corn, Coy said.

He explained that Rennegarbe’s weight pulled him down “rather quickly” into the corn, where temperatures had climbed to 128 degrees. The combination of the lack of oxygen and the heat led to his death, Coy said, adding that rescuers had to cut a hole in the middle of the bin to find him.

Rennegarbe is survived by his wife, Erica, infant son, Braxton, and his parents. He also was a volunteer firefighter, a Jaycee, a softball player and a member of Trinity Lutheran Church in Nashville, Ill. A memorial fund has been established for his son through Campagna Funeral Home in Okawville.

He had number of fans from his high school basketball days in the late 1990s at Okawville High School, where he graduated in 1998, and most recently as a high school and college basketball referee. He graduated from McKendree College with a physical education degree.

The Rennegarbe tragedy has prompted many in agricultural circles to review safety precautions. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) officials state that farms are one of the most dangerous workplaces in the nation and offer advice for safety.

“You can start by increasing your awareness of farming hazards and making a conscious effort to prepare for emergency situations,” OSHA spokesman Brad Mitchell said, adding that grain bin accidents are particularly risky because of the grain’s instability. He offered the following safety suggestions about grain bins:

Wear respirators. Grain dust, spores and inadequate oxygen to allow breathing can cause the death of a person entering a grain bin (confined space). Persistent exposure to these airborne particles may cause “farmer’s lung,” which may become an irreversible lung condition, eventually causing death.

Flowing grain and mold and dust health hazards may exist when working with grain that has gone out of condition or has bridged into a precarious stack. Those who enter should wear NIOSH-approved dust filtering respirators to protect their lungs. Other, more effective, filtering equipment may prove to be a better alternative for extended exposures.

Wear a harness. A worker entering a grain or feed bin should have a body harness tethered to a lifeline that is manned by two others outside the bin. One worker should be able to see the worker inside the bin through an access.

This support crew can retrieve the one who entered the bin. One rescuer can get aid, if necessary, after the victim is retrieved, while the other is treating the victim.

Don’t depend on being able to communicate from the inside to the outside of the bin. The use of prearranged arm and hand signals is one suggestion for these conditions. It is difficult to hear under any circumstances, but especially when grain handling or drying
equipment is operating.

Never enter a bin of flowing grain. If you drop a grain probe or shovel, first stop the flow of grain, take the precautions, then retrieve the lost item. Remember, no piece of equipment is worth a human life.

Know the bin’s history. Know or be wary about a grain bin’s history before entering. Get help if the grain surface appears moldy or caked. Get at least two helpers and have a tether and a safety harness.

Strike the grain surface hard with a pole or long-handled tool before entry. Probe through the top layer and determine if there is a crusted surface; never get out of communication with co-workers.
Lock out/tag out related power equipment. Do this before entering any bin. Also, post a sign on the control box if it is possible that others may arrive after you padlock the control levers. If a bin is unloaded by gravity flow, padlock the control gate to keep it closed.
Have a plan. Any adjustments to rescue someone should not endanger a second victim. A rescue should not increase the number of or the severity of injury to victims.

Having appropriate breathing apparatus is essential if the victim has been unable to get sufficient oxygen or has been breathing air containing grain toxins. Use adequate dust protection and take a rope to remove the victim from the bin without using your tether. Before entering a bin, assure that adequate help is available to pull you out with your tether and safety harness.

Have safety equipment handy. Preventative safety measures should include proper ladders, scaffolds and the like. Modern bins have an interior ladder, and these can be installed in older bins. Have a body harness, tether, breathing apparatus and a minimum of two others in your crew if you have reason to enter a bin.