another grain bin tragedy

glennster · May 7, 2014

genoa il farmer, accidents happen
poke here

keh · May 7, 2014

Sad. Don't know enough about it to discuss how to avoid those accidents.

KEH

Steve@Advance · May 7, 2014

I know we all do it, all the time, but going into something like that alone is probably what got him.

glennster · May 7, 2014

the corn crusts over in the bin over winter, and when you go to unload the bin, it gets kind of a dome of hard pack corn on top. then an air gap underneath. you try and break up the dome to get the bin unloaded and if you fall in, you get trapped. i have used a cinder block on a rope to break up the crust, but have also give it a kick or two.

Phil in MI · May 7, 2014

Really sad story, one can only hope this will serve as reminder to all to not let this happen anywhere again, ever. Phil

Question, how do you put the link to a news story in your post? I was trying post the link to a news story of an air tank explosion accident in Lawton, Michigan

rrlund · May 7, 2014

I heard about that on The Market Day Report.

oldtanker · May 7, 2014

(quoted from post at 15:01:41 05/07/14) the corn crusts over in the bin over winter, and when you go to unload the bin, it gets kind of a dome of hard pack corn on top. then an air gap underneath. you try and break up the dome to get the bin unloaded and if you fall in, you get trapped. i have used a cinder block on a rope to break up the crust, but have also give it a kick or two.

What get me is that although he had been a volunteer firefighter and a farmer he still did something like that. Odds are he was on at least one call for the same thing. It wasn't an accident. It was a mistake that cost him his life. Accidents can't be avoided. Getting into a grain bin to try to dislodge grain is plain stupidity.

Rick

Mark - IN. · May 7, 2014

I heard about that. Is truly sad. The report that I heard said they had to keep working their way down by cutting holes in the side of the bin until drained enough, low enough to find him. They offered an OSHA statistc when I heard it as to how often it happens. As I recall, and may have it backwards, they compared 2010 accidental deaths in such accidents to last year, I believe that they had dropped to about half, which is a better thing. In any event, my condoleces to the family. Accidents can and often do have very bad consequences and I think that most of us have survived near misses that afterwards sent chills up and down our spines at how close we came. I know that I have.

Mark

Paul Searl · May 7, 2014

My boss knew him and I know his sister's family. I had never met Leon, but I had heard his name on a number of occasions. We talked to his brother in law today, i guess there was a large amount of crusted corn that came out so they figure it bridged up and he went in to dislodge it. They knew it was a recovery right away and not a rescue. took them all afternoon to empty the bin and many of the locals brought trucks and tractors to haul the corn away. local elevator stayed open til about 9 I heard so they could get it all cleaned up. Tomorrow (thursday) I am told a group of neighbors will be out to plant his farm.

Dr. Walt · May 8, 2014

Condolences to the family.

BUT..... If he was a volunteer Firefighter for 20 years & his Sons were volunteers, they should have known about SAFETY LANYARDS.

I'm a firm believer in Safety Lanyards, being a Miner I was changing out the guide wheels on the bottom of the ore skip in the Headframe when suddenly the work platform gave way. My Safety Lanyard kept me from falling down a 1200 Foot vertical Shaft.

Doc

another grain bin tragedy

glennster

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keh

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Steve@Advance

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glennster

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Phil in MI

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rrlund

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oldtanker

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Mark - IN.

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Paul Searl

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Dr. Walt

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