SALEM, S.D. (KELO) — It only takes four seconds for an adult to sink knee-deep into flowing grain, and in 2022 there were 15 fatalities from grain entrapments in the nation. Because of this, a Salem high schooler decided to host a simulation to help educate her community on how to handle being stuck in a grain bin.
Dozens of people gathered at the McCook County Fairgrounds, to learn about grain bin safety.
“I want them to know the risks and dangers of entering a grain bin. And that’s what we’re here to do today, is educate all my community members, farmers, agriculture, workers on the importance of this topic,” McCook Central senior, Lauren Roling said.
To drive the point home, Roling partnered with Nationwide and the National Education Center for Agriculture Safety to host a grain bin simulation. They harnessed people in and lowered them into grain. Then they turned an auger on, which pulled the people down to their waist within 15 seconds.
“We’re going to run in with the rescue tube and build the rescue tube. It’s a six panel system that’s going to be built around them, kind of like a cofferdam,” National Education Center for Agriculture Safety Director, Dan Neenan said.
“When they sink you, you can you know, you start to feel the pressure. It just something that I’ve never felt before,” simulator participant, Landon Roling said.
The event is designed to help educate the community, but also first responders in the event of a grain bin accident.
“Entering into that space is a minimum of a two person job, the person entering into the space. Then there has to be a reliable attendant who’s one and only job is to watch what’s going on inside that bin. And if that person becomes unresponsive or becomes trapped, their job is not to go in after them, but to stand back and call for 911,” Neenan said.
Hopefully saving lives in the future.
“It is a big farming community. I have a lot of support from my community and I really want those people that take away from this is an impact. I want them to be impacted of what grain bin safety is,” Lauren said.
Click here for more information on grain bin safety.
