Governor’s Personal Tragedy Highlights Everyday Safety Need
Last week, February 16 to 22 was declared Grain Bin Safety Week. The intent is to put a spotlight on the importance of safety when working with grain bins on farms and agribusinesses.
South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem has a very personal story to share about grain bin safety, and she came on AgriTalk Radio toward the end of the week:
“When I was 22 years old–I was just finishing up school–my dad was killed in a grain bin accident on our family farm,” she says.
The story of her father’s death in a grain bin emphasizes the need for safety around grain bins all year round. And in particular in the coming year because of the widespread quality issues of the grain currently being stored.
“We'd had a really wet and miserable year the year before, kind of like South Dakota experienced this last year,” she says.
“It shows how quickly situations could change and how devastating it can be. That split second became a 10-year struggle for us just to keep our family business in this something and it is amazing how fast those things can change,” Governor Noem says.
She also appeared in a video with Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue talking her personal story.
Grain cooperatives and others highlighted their focus on safety during the week as well:
On February 17, Agtegra’s Safety Department conducted demonstrations of entrapment rescue training using the Grain Engulfment Rescue Trainer (GERT) that simulates grain engulfment, to area fire departments. In all, 32 firefighters from six locations attended the crucial training. pic.twitter.com/iK0jTd29JB — Agtegra (@agtegra) February 24, 2020
