Due in a large part to the efforts of NPR, I recently became more aware and educated on a tragic and horrifying issue in the Feed and Grain industry: Grain Entrapment and Engulfment.  Basically, this is the incidence of being buried and/or drowned in bulk grain.  I shudder to even think about the experience.

Reading through NPR’s listing of incidents, I noticed a couple of things that had me thinking more about why this is happening and whether Cleveland Vibrator Company might play a part in future prevention.  First, the incidents reported seem to be more frequent in the past few years.  Second, there is some recurrence of incidents stemming from people climbing into bins, hoppers and silos that have stuck material in order to “unstick” it.

Certainly, the second item connected with me as we are a manufacturer of material flow aids, like industrial vibrators and knockers, that are used to prevent or correct material sticking, clogging, rat-holing and bridging.  I wanted to learn more about what we could do.  So, I called a contact at Grain Journal/GrainNet who referred me to call Catherine Rylatt of the Grain Handling Safety Coalition.  We had a great conversation.  It turns out, Catherine’s husband worked in the plastics industry for a number of years and had familiarity with industrial vibrators and knockers and recognized that they could be a potential preventive measure to avert humans climbing in bins, hoppers or silos.  While they aren’t a silver bullet for every situation, there is a place for both continuous vibration and timed, single impactors or knockers, depending on the state of the material and the type of hopper.  However, there does not seem to be a wealth of awareness.

Catherine also clued me into the reasoning for the recent increased rate of incidents.  One, the harvest conditions in recent years have been wet.  So, grain is often put into storage wet, making it more likely to bond and become stuck or “crusted.”  Two, increasingly, grain is being stored on the farm or local to it rather than at large elevators.  Farms are first newer to the discipline of storing large amounts of bulk grain and secondly, not regulated by OSHA for safety practices.  Unfortunately, the belief is that this year will once again be a wet harvest, leading to similar conditions.

While we don’t think that vibrators or knockers are the silver bullet in every case, we do believe we can help be part of the solution.  In hopes to support awareness for all potential preventive measures, Cleveland Vibrator is pledging support to the Grain Handling Safety Coalition.  If you contact us to try our vibrators or knockers on your bins to prevent bin entry, please reference reading this post so we can keep track!

Craig Macklin

Craig Macklin joined The Cleveland Vibrator Company in 2010. Although his prior experience is mired in the world of theoretical, intangible products and services such as software and consulting sales, the past 11 years have developed his passion for this industry and molded the vibration expert we know today. Now, as President and CEO, Craig has a deep understanding of the value and importance of industrial vibration to numerous industries and applications. He enjoys fine, locally roasted espresso, good food, and spending the day with his wife and two daughters. He has cried at multiple Browns and Indians games and likes to get outside and golf in his free time.

What’s his area of expertise, you ask? “Making sure the people on our team are better and smarter than I am.” – Craig Macklin