Gail DeBoy This is Me

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1. 1. www.jconline.com

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   Published on: 6/16/2008   Last Visited: 6/16/2008

   "We know as farmers are more stressed and working longer hours, as the weather dries up ... they're going to work longer hours to get the work in," said Gail DeBoy, a Purdue agricultural safety specialist."The longer you work, the tireder you are, and the more stressed you are, and the more hazards you overlook, and the more accidents happen."
   
   DeBoy thinks this year could be another bad one for farm accidents because of those issues.
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   DeBoy said most accidents can be prevented if farmers simply take their time and make sure they don't try to do too much.
   
   "They just need to realize they have to get rest," he said.

2. 2. www.agrinewspubs.com

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   Published on: 9/20/2007   Last Visited: 9/20/2007

   Purdue University agriculture safety specialist Gail Deboy, who owned a gas combine in the 1980s but later parted with it, said although he never witnessed the old machine go up in flames, combine fires remain a high risk for anyone in the field. "There are fewer combine fires these days because there are fewer combines, and the technology is better, so farmers can cover their acres much faster and spend less time in the field," he said. "Even still, the fires are very dangerous, and the combine operator needs to get away as soon as possible." As combines continue to get bigger, they accommodate more fuel, lubricants and hydraulic oil, increasing susceptibility to ignition caused by leaks, the specialist said. "Most combines use diesel fuel, so the fires do not cause a big explosion," he said. "But even small leaks in any of the systems that use these flammable liquids can result in a small fire becoming a large one in seconds." "Plus, if the operator is using an older combine, it will be more volatile and dangerous," he added. To prevent fires, Deboy recommends keeping fodder and plant material from collecting on and in the equipment, checking for hydraulic, engine and exhaust leaks and ensuring bearings are not overheating and preventing friction between parts. "Servicing equipment at the end of the day rather than the beginning will help detect overheating components and even slowly smoldering fires that might erupt in the night," he said. If neglect of machinery or simple bad luck result in a combine fire, however, Deboy recommends farmers keep fire extinguishers with them to combat the potential disaster. "It wouldn't hurt to have two 10-pound extinguishers on the combine," he said. "They should be ABC-approved for combustibles, fuel fires and electrical fires." If a fire is spotted, the farmer should grab the extinguisher and get out of the combine cab as quickly as possible, Debor said. "If it's a small fire and there seems to be a chance of putting it out, he should give it a try," he said.

3. 3. www.agrinewspubs.com

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   Published on: 4/2/2007   Last Visited: 4/3/2007

   Every year, grain bin accidents claim about two Indiana producers and around 14 farmers nationally, said Gail Deboy, a Purdue University agricultural safety specialist. Most fatalities involve farmers being buried in grain as they attempt to dislodge moldy and clumped corn from unloading equipment. "One of the peak months for grain bin entrapment is June, after farmers have finished the planting season and they need to pay their bills," Deboy said. "They're moving a lot of grain that has been in the bin for several months, where it's had time to mold or get a little crusty. When a crust forms and those moldy clumps of grain go down into the unloading auger and plug it up, the farmer will enter the bin and try to remove the clog." The danger comes when a farmer stands on the grain and prods crusty portions with a rod, Deboy said. "If the farmer has left the unloading auger running and removes the plug at the inlet to the auger and grain flow starts again, the farmer can be pulled under the grain very quickly," he said. "Depending on the size of the bin and the size of the auger, a farmer can become trapped in less than five seconds. In 30 seconds or so, he can be completely buried in the grain." Death often comes by suffocation, Deboy said. Even when rescue efforts are successful, extrication can have serious consequences. One trapped farmer suffered a severed spinal cord while being pulled from a grain bin, Deboy said. "Once a person is buried up to about their chin in grain, it takes about 800 pounds of force to pull out a normal size individual," he said. "Most human bodies can't stand that kind of force. There have been rescue situations where workers tried to put a wench and a rope or harness around an individual and lift them up, and severely injured them." Farmers also must be careful when using vacuum-type grain movers, Deboy said. "We've documented entrapment cases where individuals were using a vacuum grain mover while standing on top of grain that was more than two feet deep," Deboy said. "The vacuum hose near their feet started drawing the grain out from under them, and they began to sink into the grain. Once they started sinking, the farmer tried to lift the heavy vacuum pipe up and only forced themselves further into the grain." The best way to avoid grain entrapment is preventing stored crop from spoiling, Deboy said. He recommended farmers inspect grain often and move crop before mold sets in.
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   "It's also important to inform all workers and children about entrapment hazards," Deboy said. "Do not allow children to play or work in grain bins, wagons or trucks." If a farmer becomes trapped in a bin with unloading equipment running, they should walk around the outer wall until the bin empties or equipment is shut down, Deboy said. "Cutting holes in the bin to remove grain from around the victim is the best rescue technique but should only be performed by trained rescuers," he said.