Grain engulfments a safety concern

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Published on Saturday, October 31, 2015

By Kira Paterson

The Neepawa Banner/Neepawa Press

A lesser-known farm danger has been brought to the attention of many following the death of three young girls in Alberta in mid-October. Grain engulfment is not the first thing one might think of when they hear of farming accidents, but it can be as fatal as any other. 

Engulfment can happen even faster than drowning. The effect is much like quicksand, in that, the more one moves, the faster one sinks. It can take as little as 15 seconds for an average sized man to be buried up to his chest. Once immersed, the pressure exerted from the grain from all sides constricts the body. When one exhales, the lungs contract from the pressure, and it becomes impossible to inhale. 

Rescue is a very difficult matter. Because of all the pressure of the grain, it takes much more force to remove a body. It could take at least 136 kg of force to remove an average sized man buried up to his chest. 

Canadian Agricultural Safety Association (CASA) now offers grain bin rescue training. There has been an increase of incidents over the past few years and they hope to increase awareness through the program of the dangers of grain bin entrapment. There have been seven deaths this year due to such incidents.