Grain bin safety important

Officials are stressing grain bin safety during this busy harvest season.

The Illinois Department of Labor says it is vital farmers and other agricultural workers put safety first, especially when working around grain storage facilities. Grain bin incidents can also be dangerous for first responders. Fire departments should be trained to perform grain bin rescues safely.

There were 38 grain entrapment cases with 23 leading to fatalities last year nationwide. This is according to Purdue University’s Agricultural Safety and Health Program. Illinois only had three grain entrapment cases reported in 2019, but some experts believe non-fatal entrapments do not get reported.

Since moving grain acts like quicksand, grain bin tragedies can happen in seconds.