Technology could reduce risk of entering grain bins

Grain-bin deaths could soon be a thing of the past. The owner of a Iowa technology firm "has teamed up with the state’s science and technology apparatus to push the idea of using sensors and remote-control fans to prevent the types of grain-crusting problems that lead farmers to risk their lives by entering grain bins," where 74 percent of reported entrapments result in death, Perry Beeman reports for the Des Moines Register. (Register photo by David Purdy: Scott Haugen shows a bin moisture measuring device)

Scott Haugen, owner of a technology firm in Marshalltown, about 50 miles northeast of Des Moines, told Beeman that systems with sensors and real-time readings can deliver farmers the information they need while they remain in the safety of their farm office. With a computer, Haugen said, he can track grain moisture, sketch the shape of the corn mound in the bin and track temperature, while the computer-run fans keep condensation from forming in the bin, which sends water onto the grain pile and causes a crust.

"That crust is a major reason why farmers enter a grain bin — to 'walk down' the grain, or, in other words, to bust up the crust," Beeman reports. The system can also "track who has entered what area, when they left and whether someone is trying to steal grain." It can also help prevent explosions cause by ignition of grain dust.

Another key to eliminating grain bin-deaths is education. Using a $6,000 grant, a group that includes Haugen is developing a curriculum for Iowa Valley Community College District in Marshalltown and other schools, that will eventually offer two-year degrees in grain management, Beeman reports. "That would create a new job classification around the country: grain management technician." (Read more)