Local 'accident'

[Mobuck]

A 61 year old farmer, one of the three Brothers (Sons of my neighbor) who operate land across the fence made a mistake yesterday. Details are still sketchy but he was found buried inside a grain bin from which they'd been loading out soybeans. We got a call early afternoon asking if we'd seen him but that was a negative. Actually hadn't seen anyone out checking/feeding cows at all. Later, another call came asking if I seen activity near some bins 5 miles away. Yes, they'd been loading out something from a 25-30K bushel bin into a semi early last week. Next call was asking to check the pastures again. About dark the headline came in that he'd been found inside the grain bin and hadn't survived.
This makes TWO sixty-ish farmers who I've known that have died after being trapped in grain bins in the past 3 years. Both about this time of year. Both while loading out soybeans. Both working alone.

 

[kentucky yeti]

Happens around here way too often. The auger gets stuck, and someone goes down to kick the beans. They get in the beans and it is like quicksand, and they can't pull themselves back up.

 

[dobegrant.45]

sad , tough on the families, RIP

 

[g5m]

What a shame.....

 

[ronto]

Farming is more dangerous than being a police officer or fire fighter. Sorry to hear about this accident. Farmers are the backbone of our country and may God bless them all.

 

[dreamer]

Confined space entry procedures are too often ignored because we think it will just take a minute and we don’t want to wait to put a trained team together.

 

[gjgalligan]

Have to wonder if maybe a heart attack occurred while he was working around the bin.

 

[protoolman]

Farming is more dangerous than being a police officer or fire fighter. Sorry to hear about this accident. Farmers are the backbone of our country and may God bless them all.

Absolutely correct. Farming is way more dangerous than Law Enforcement. I was a cop the better part of 30 yrs. Knew personally one cop killed in my state in all those years. Some years knew 2-3 farmers killed or maimed. Farmer crushed by tractor. Farmer with one arm from unshielded power take off. 2-3 farmers flipped 4 wheelers. 2 farmers sucked down in grain bins etc. My wife was from a farm background she was glad I had a good safe job.

 

[turd]

Sorry to hear. Much of my extended family are farmers or from farming background. Some accidents, but non serious as of yet. Yes, a dangerous occupation.

 

[Dave P.]

I'm not picking on farmers and understand the need to sometimes just get things done, but for the most part
they're their own worst enemy when it comes to safety and "accidents". Almost none of the common stuff that
gets them is unique or a surprise to anybody.

 

[Mobuck]

"we don't want to wait to put a trained team together."
That's a novel idea. Don't think I ever saw a farmer with a 'trained support team'.
One of the worst instances I can remember involved 3 generations of one family who died in a toxic gas filled manure pit. One family member after another gave his life trying to save the previous victim.

 

[Bob Wright]

I was to work around grain elevators much of my career and I have a very healthy respect for grain bins. Grain typically has the characteristic of a liquid in those bins. A man literally "drowns" in the mass.

Bob Wright

 

[the_leper_colony]

"we don't want to wait to put a trained team together."
That's a novel idea. Don't think I ever saw a farmer with a 'trained support team'.
One of the worst instances I can remember involved 3 generations of one family who died in a toxic gas filled manure pit. One family member after another gave his life trying to save the previous victim.

Same thing happens in the oil & gas and mining industries - you get toxic gas collecting in a low spot, or someplace with no ventilation. One guy goes in to do some work, and passes out. The next guy goes after him, and passes out. Repeat, until somebody calls for help, or nobody's left. And these are guys that get professional training, are not going after family members, and may actually have a trained rescue team to call (with breathing gear, etc.). Guess it's just the natural human response, to try & help.

 

[RC44Mag]

I’m a New York guy and in the 80’s I’d watch the show Cheers and Woody would often have stories of his farming family back home who always have amputations and other very serious injuries all told in really funny stories. It was always one of the highlights of the show during the Woody era.

I had no idea how factual it was and it’s not funny now. Serious sheet the job is. Just another of the many reasons to admire and thank farmers across the land. Thank you.

 

[Jeepnik]

"we don't want to wait to put a trained team together."
That's a novel idea. Don't think I ever saw a farmer with a 'trained support team'.
One of the worst instances I can remember involved 3 generations of one family who died in a toxic gas filled manure pit. One family member after another gave his life trying to save the previous victim.

Used to happen from time to time when dealing with sour crude. H2S gets one and others follow. Strict rules now have saved a lot of lives.

I’m surprised no one has come up wth a harness and safety line system that can automatically pull someone one out of a bin at the push of a button. Heck it could even send an alarm out.

 

[hittman]

https://khqa.com/news/local/body-of...-2-hour-search-of-grain-bin-in-putnam-county#

 

[Armybrat]

Heard similar stories from my family’s tenant farmer back in the day.
Mobuck, my Grandpa was born in Bethany (1889) and my Dad in Stanberry (1911) just west of Putnam County.
Dad was raised in Graham - Nodaway County.

 

[Mobuck]

I've been through Bethany and Stanberry many times. All 3 kids went to NorthWestMo university in Bethany.
There are safety harnesses, safety ropes, and even remote control extraction winch set ups. Unfortunately, not many folks actually use them.

 

[hittman]

Cause we’re in a hurry and never think it’ll happen to us. :(

 

[hittman]

Only about 5 years ago my cousin Marilyn made her daily trip with the feeder wagon to the lot. It was Valentines Day I think. Why she wore a scarf wrapped around her neck and how she got it caught in the PTO shaft we’ll never know. She was in her 50’s and certainly knew better. :(

 

[Jeepnik]

I've been through Bethany and Stanberry many times. All 3 kids went to NorthWestMo university in Bethany.
There are safety harnesses, safety ropes, and even remote control extraction winch set ups. Unfortunately, not many folks actually use them.

I sort of understand. As a younger man I didn't wear a seat belt, much less a shoulder belt. When I went into the service and became a fireman I worked an accident where a once, but never again 17 yo girl went face firts into a windshield, and another where a VW Bug rolled over and trapped the driver between the roof and the steering wheel. I've worn them religiouly since that time.

And don't get me started on jack stands. That's a memory I will never forget.

 

[unionprez]

I worked for a municipality in a city of 52,000 people for 36 years. Did industrial pretreatment monitoring industries for heavy metals and such. I performed over 500 confined space entries during my career and EVERY TIME we did one, all the rules and protocol were followed. No serious incidents and everybody went home. Cardinal rule was if anybody went down in the hole and passed out, you didn't go in after them. Very hard thing to do, but the next guy going in probably wasn't coming out alive. H2S (hydrogen sulfide) is a real killer. My condolences to the farmer and his family mentioned in the original post.

 

[Ride1949]

I sort of understand. As a younger man I didn't wear a seat belt, much less a shoulder belt. When I went into the service and became a fireman I worked an accident where a once, but never again 17 yo girl went face firts into a windshield, and another where a VW Bug rolled over and trapped the driver between the roof and the steering wheel. I've worn them religiouly since that time.

And don't get me started on jack stands. That's a memory I will never forget.

I'd be interested in hearing what you have to say about jack stands. I have some mechanical work coming up on my 2002 Explorer. (biggest piece of junk I've ever owned. Belonged to my ex-wife. Bless her heart, for leaving it here with me. It's spent more time parked than on the road.) I need to get under it and all I have for any kind of safety measure are jack stands. I have used them in the past though.

 

[peachhead]

Hate to hear this. Farmers are one of the backbones of America. Hate to lose any of them.

 

[caryc]

Jack stands are convenient, but I always have them backed up with wood cribbing. There are no welds to break in wood blocks.

 

[Armybrat]

Family tenant farmer near Barnard severely injured his hand while hitching an implement to his tractor.
A week later he was demonstrating to his neighbor how he had done it.
You guessed right…. he did it again.

 

[Rum River]

I was a fourth generation dairy farmer. Smaller operation so I left the life when in my late 20's for the factories and then a white collar job.

We farmers could be our own worst enemies as far as removing shields from moving equipment. Best advice was to just assume everything was out to get you. Our family was lucky and never had any deaths or maiming - but it wasn't for lack of trying.

Where I worked in the factories you could be caught in large machinery, chemically burned/killed or the old reliable just plain electrocution.

My farming experience saved my sorry behind more than once in those factories when I realized something was about to happen.

 

[caryc]

Those do it your own self shows are what gets me. Every time they use a table saw, there is no guard of any kind on it, and they are supposed to be teaching people.

 

[Dave P.]

Jack stands are convenient, but I always have them backed up with wood cribbing. There are no welds to break in wood blocks.

I also like wood cribbing as a back up to jack stands. Depends how big something is and what kind of work is going on under it determines how
much overkill I add to it. Had a brother in law manage to kill himself by being lazy under a Chevy Blazer some years back. His little daughter
was 5 years old at the time. Still remember when we all got back to his house from the hospital, her asking her mother when her
daddy was coming home. Might have been the saddest thing I've ever heard.
I always try to remember that heavy equipment, most equipment in machine shops, and horses, can't forget them, will all kill or maim you given the chance. All patiently wait for the opportunity.

 

[jack black]

Used to happen from time to time when dealing with sour crude. H2S gets one and others follow. Strict rules now have saved a lot of lives.

I’m surprised no one has come up wth a harness and safety line system that can automatically pull someone one out of a bin at the push of a button. Heck it could even send an alarm out.

Those systems do exist but most farms I have been on are accidents waiting to happen. SAD