Necessity is the mother of invention, so the saying goes. And sometimes, one invention necessitates the invention of another.
Large grain bins were invented to handle the ever-increasing volume of grain that Midwestern farmers produce for use domestically and in foreign markets. The construction of such large bins in the Sauk Valley and across the grain belt has been common. But along with them, the danger of farmers and workers becoming entrapped in the grain has also become more common.
A spate of grain entrapment deaths, including two in Mount Carroll in 2010, prompted a grain elevator owner in Lanark to take action. Roger Coulthard came up with an idea to invent a four-panel rescue tube that can be transported to the scene and assembled around the victim in the grain bin.
From there, with the metal sides absorbing the force of the grain outside the tube, rescuers can begin removing the grain from around the victim, within the tube, to the point that the person can be pulled to safety.
The ingenious aspect of the invention, dubbed the Great Wall of Rescue, is the way it is assembled at the rescue scene. The sides are attached via custom-made ball-and-socket hinges, which hold the panels together to create the barrier between the victim and the rest of the grain within the bin.
The victim is relieved of some of the pressure created by the surrounding grain, which can reach 75 pounds per cubic foot – enough to leave bruises on flesh.
The victim also is less likely to sink farther into the grain. After the Great Wall of Rescue is assembled around the victim, a rescue can be effected in as little as 15 minutes, according to a Sauk Valley Media story from last week.
The rescue tubes are manufactured by Eastland Fabrication, a subsidiary of Eastland Feed & Grain.
Demonstrations have been given to area first responders, such as fire departments, so they have a better understanding of how the rescue tube would be assembled and used. Grain bin safety has taken an upward turn through education, training, and greater public awareness of the hazards that large storage bins pose to those who enter them.
We encourage fire departments and others to investigate whether the Great Wall of Rescue is right for them. By going against the grain, the tube could be a real lifesaver.
