Grain bin safety hits home in South Dakota

grain bin safety
National Grain Bin Safety Week is February 16-22. Rural Fire Departments spend a lot of time practicing rescue operations in case someone gets stuck in a bin. (Photo from The University of Saskatchewan)

Grain Bin safety. I know you as farmers get tired of the topic. We hit it hard once a year during National Grain Bin Safety Week. But, there’s a reason we in the farm media hit the topic hard. People still get hurt or killed every year, no matter how long they’ve been in the business of farming. Farming is a dangerous profession; the most dangerous in America.

Really, it only takes a moment for tragedy to happen. I can’t imagine what it’s like to know that a family member died by being crushed under a mountain of grain and not being able to breathe. But I know of someone who lived through the nightmare. She’s the current governor of South Dakota.

National Grain Bin Safety week is February 16-22 this year. National Grain Bin Safety Week is a subject that hits home for South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem, who grew up on a farm in Hamlin County and lost her father in a grain bin accident…tape

She says farmers and ranchers work with dangerous equipment every day…tape

While you may not think you have time to slow down, Noem reminds producers theirs aren’t the only lives affected if something tragic happens…tape

Noem encourages producers to evaluate safety procedures and equipment on their farms and ranches and to make adjustments when needed.

Older farmers aren’t the only ones hurt in accidents. Twitter was recently ablaze with sadness over the loss of a young man who’d barely lived around twenty years. It only takes a second for life to change forever. It’s worth taking a few extra minutes to be safe. I know how the grind of farming wears on patience. It’s worth it to your family members to have you come home a few minutes later, especially if it’s the difference between life and death, which it certainly can be.

Fire prevention; Are you ready for an emergency?

Fire prevention is a perfect topic that should be top of mind as the winter gets ever closer. We’re all gonna spend more time inside soon. Accidents happen. Are you ready? Here’s a video to warm you up.. it’s only 92 seconds. Take a look.

Ever thought about what would happen if a fire broke out in your home? The recent National Fire Prevention Week means it’s a perfect time to consider the options, such as how to get out of each room in your house if a fire starts? This year’s theme for National Fire Prevention Week is “Not Every Hero Wears A Cape. Plan and Practice Your Escape.”

Fire prevention
National Fire Prevention Week takes place every October and It’s a perfect time to remind
you that winter is coming. We all spend much more time indoors. That’s when accidents can happen. Are you ready? You don’t get a second chance when a fire breaks out. (Photo from starlocalmedia.com)

“National Fire Prevention Week is a perfect time to remind people to think about fire safety, especially as we get closer to winter,” said Rushford Volunteer Fire Department Chief Chad Rasmussen. “Let’s do things like check the smoke alarms, make sure our furnaces are clean, and anything else that would make our homes a little safer.

“People are using their furnaces more in the wintertime, they’re using their wood stoves, and too much snow can block dryer vents,” he added. “There’s a lot of things to keep in mind when people are ‘boxed in’ more during the winter.”

Other preventative steps include keeping chimneys swept and moving snow away from gas meters. Keep space heaters away from things like curtains or blankets that could easily catch fire if the heater happens to tip over accidentally.

Rasmussen said people tend to downplay their chances of having a fire break out in their house. “They really do think it’s never going to happen to them,” he said. “If you aren’t prepared for it, the worst things usually happen. People lose their lives. You could be out of your home. The way we’re building our homes these days makes them burn a lot quicker than they did in the past.”

He said the best way to prepare for a possible fire is to practice an escape plan. People tend to think escape plans are for families with children but that’s not the case. Even someone who lives alone needs an escape plan to get out of their house safely.

“You could be downstairs doing something and a fire breaks out upstairs from a space heater that tipped over,” Rasmussen said. “You need to know how to get out of there as soon as possible. Have a practice fire drill every month or two with everyone in the house. People tend to panic when a fire starts. Make sure what you have to do to escape is drilled into everyone in the house.”

It’s important to have a meeting place picked out that everyone knows ahead of time so you can account for those people in the house. That way, when the fire department does get there, they’ll know right away if they need to check for someone in the house.

The National Fire Protection Association points out that in a fire, people may have as little as one to two minutes to escape safely after the smoke alarm sounds. Escape planning and practice can help make the most of the time you have to get out safely.

“Fire doesn’t care who you are, it’s going to take from you,” Rasmussen said. “It doesn’t matter if you’re male or female, an adult or child, it will take everything from you. Be prepared.”