
by Sylene Argent
Recently, area Agris Co-Op employees and local firefighters learned how to safely extract an individual from grain through a hands-on workshop hosted at the Stoney Point Agris Co-Op location. Participants also earned of different situations that could result in getting trapped in grain.
Anne Anger, the Secretary/Treasurer of the Essex County Federation of Agriculture (ECFA), noted this was the first time the Canadian Agricultural Safety Association’s (CASA) BeGrainSafe program has been in the area. The free training program for first responders included bringing a the BeGrainSafe Trailer to the site, which has a built-in silo with a capacity to hold 7,000 pounds of grain. The trailer includes equipment that can safely lower a mannequin or person into the grain so the extraction method could be learned.
First responders and Agris employees were taught how to place cofferdams round the individual needing extricating. Grain or seed is then removed from around the victim.
Anger noted the ECFA and the County of Essex organized the training session, with help from generous sponsors.
Anger hoped this demonstration will spark interest from others in the area who would also like to receive the training. She hopes the training will never be needed, but likes the idea of others learning the correct way to save someone from a grain silo if the incident were to ever occur.