By STEVE BINDER
Illinois Correspondent

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — When a record number of deaths and injuries to grain bin accidents occurred last year, ag industry groups, educators and farming leaders concluded it was time to ramp up efforts to lessen the risks of operating bins.
The National Corn Growers Assoc. (NCGA) and the National Grain and Feed Foundation – the research and education arm of the National Grain and Feed Assoc. (NGFA) – earlier this month unveiled a joint video project to promote awareness about grain bin safety on the farm.

“In 2010 we saw a record number of farmers becoming engulfed in grain bins and we decided it was time to have a proactive role in creating awareness about the serious nature of this issue,” said NCGA President Bart Schott. “We hope that this video makes farmers stop and think twice before the next time they put themselves in danger.”

NGFA President Kendell W. Keith noted how quickly grain can turn deadly.
“Flowing grain can pose a life-threatening hazard, and statistics show that 92 percent of victims who become fully engulfed – which can happen in a matter of seconds – do not survive,” Keith said. “People need to become more aware of the hazards.”

Seven people dying in bin engulfments during a three-week period last summer led to the formation of the Grain Handling Safety Coalition, a consortium of public and private organizations looking to reduce or prevent grain bin accidents and fatalities through education and outreach.

The 15-member coalition includes representatives from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA); the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH); the Grain Feed Assoc. of Illinois (GFA); Farm Bureau; the University of Illinois; the University of Iowa; Purdue University; Illinois FFA; Carle Hospital’s Center for Rural Health and Farm Safety; Illinois Farm Service Agency; and the Illinois Department of Agriculture.

Two of its members are Robert Aherin, a UoI safety specialist, and Catherine Rylatt, a public health degree-holder – and aunt to one of the men killed.
“Our initial intent was to get to know one another and learn what each group was doing in the area of grain safety, then try to consolidate our resources to address areas of weakness,” Aherin said. “That’s already started to happen.”
An example of that cooperation came late last year, when OSHA and the GFA worked together to train OSHA inspectors in grain handling systems. “We are also developing public service announcements that will inform the public of the coalition and its goals, as well as address specific issues related to grain bin safety,” Aherin said.

He added the coalition hopes to reach the areas of population who have the greatest need – farmers, small elevator owners and the people they employ. “Older youth and seasonal workers employed during the busy time of year need to understand the risk that is inherent in working in grain bins,” he explained.
Future plans for the coalition include a website on grain safety that will give the farming community access to training resources, publications and links to different organizations involved in the coalition. Aherin said there is interest in a national convention that would focus on grain safety and agricultural confined spaces, in general.

He is a member of a committee sponsored by the USDA focused on agricultural safety and health research and extension work.

That committee has compiled a list of 13 priorities, and one they are currently addressing is agricultural confined spaces.

“There is also a real need to improve the safety design of grain bins,” Aherin said. “We’ve been working on issues of grain safety for a long time and we’ve reached a lot of people, but we need to reach more.”
The grain groups’ new video, shot on location in several states, provides a wide range of information from prevention tips and background data on grain bin accidents. The project involved interviews with professionals in the fields of grain bin safety research and rescue to provide as much information to viewers as possible.

The long version of the video is available at http://ncga.com and on NCGA’s YouTube channel, at www.youtube.com/ watch?v=YDwJCdjlZYE&feature=youtu.be

The NGFA also has made the video available on its website at www.ngfa.org and will be encouraging its grain elevator members to distribute it to farmers and other customers.