Can this app reduce grain bin accident fatalities in Illinois?

 Posted on December 30, 2014 in Firm News

Suffocation is a very real threat for those working in the grain industry. Between the possibility of crusted grain breaking, becoming trapped while removing spoiled grain, or drowning in the grain bin, farmers and farm workers who tend to grain handling duties face very real risks on the job. 

Recently, the Grain and Feed Association of Illinois and the Illinois Corn Marketing Board worked together to come up with a potentially life-saving app. The app helps people locate the nearest grain rescue tube. These tubes can be put around someone who is trapped inside of a grain bin and can mean the difference between life and death. 

The idea behind this app is for it to be downloaded before there is an emergency situation. This way, it is at hand if needed.

Of course, this is all good news for the grain industry and the farmers and farm workers who tend to grain duties. However, while the hope is this app will reduce the number of workers killed in grain accidents, there is no guarantee. Accidents can still happen. 

Being involved in any type of grain bin accident is quite traumatic. For those workers who survive, they could end up facing expensive medical bills, on top of lost income and pain and suffering. In worst case scenarios, where a worker is killed in a grain bin accident, family members will also be at a loss -- both emotionally and financially. In both of these types of cases, know that legal options may be available. A personal injury attorney who handles farm accidents will be able to provide more information.

Source: Insurance Journal, "New App in Illinois Aimed at Reducing Deaths in Grain Bins," Dec. 29, 2014