News on Technology

Handling grain in a grain bin begins with having the proper equipment – but there is a lot more to it than that.

Angie Johnson, NDSU Extension agent and farm and ranch safety program coordinator, from Galesburg, N.D., on the edge of the Red River Valley, grew up around grain bins and knows how to handle herself and others around them.

At NDSU’s Dickinson Research Extension Center field day, Taylor Downing, Stark/Billings Extension intern, assisted Johnson in grain bin accident prevention demonstrations. They brought along Woody, the cartoon character from Toy Story, who was sent sinking into corn in a simulation of a farming accident.

“I want to be able to prevent an accident before you enter that grain bin,” Johnson said.

Johnson wants to be able to show and tell farmers how to be safe before entering a grain bin rather than to have to hear about accidents because of unsafe grain bin practices.

“The number one most dangerous profession is farming and ranching. Each of you has probably had some farm- or ranch-related incident or tragedy that has made an impact on your life,” she said.

Johnson pointed out there were no formal requirements to report accidents, but thanks to a research project with Sanford Health, Johnson is now hearing that those that survive a grain bin injury had the incident due to “slips, trips, and falls” when it comes to grain bin handling systems.

Grain bins need special thought before entering – and special equipment.

“A lot of the incidents you hear about involve grain entrapment,” Johnson said.

During the demonstration, Downing put on safety gear that would help her when she entered a grain bin.

“Whenever we deal with slips, trips, and falls, a lot of times the safety features on our grain bins don’t come with the bin when you buy it. It is an add-on feature,” she said.

Whenever a farmer “adds on steel” to his grain bin, especially in the current markets, the prices “go through the roof,” she added.

The best and safest grain bins to purchase are the bins with a spiral staircase system, but they are very expensive. Most go with the straight, fixed-ladder system, as it costs less.