Harvest Moon

Due east of the mighty Mississippi River, a serene July night consumed the sullied goldenrod fields of Mt. Carroll, IL. as two lifeless teenage boys were pulled from a stainless steel Illinois grain bin. They were Wyatt Whitebread, 14 and Alejandro Pacas, 19.

According to OSHA reports, the two boys were “walking-down-the-corn”, creating flow for grain emptying machinery, when the kernels suddenly assumed the nature of quicksand below Wyatt’s feet. The 8^th grader began sinking. Pacas and a third boy, Will Piper, 20, rushed to Whitebread’s safety; however the rescuers encountered the same fate of young Wyatt Whitebread: all three boys slowly sank. A fourth boy, Chris Lawton, 15, lunged for the side ladder and hustled up-and-out of the bin; inhaling large gulps of summer morning air in his dead sprint for help.

Meanwhile, the eyes of Whitebread and Pacas disappeared below the surface of the trembling grain leaving Will Piper to sink alone. Thousands of kernels engulfed Piper’s thighs, hips, stomach and chest before the grain, now level with his neckline, came to a halt. Treading a sea of corn, he kept his head above the surface in a struggle to escape drowning. He succeeded; the machinery halted; and Piper waited. He waited six hours before being pulled out of the pit, rushed to a hospital and treated for minor injuries.

And still it was six more hours before thirty-eight firefighters finally bore witness to the harvest’s victims: two teenagers, one underage for silo employment, both without harnesses.

The boys were employed to walk the surface of the unstable crop without harnesses, safety lines or proper training. Those essentials would have prevented what OSHA has deemed an “easily avoidable tragedy” from happening. It would have prevented unquantifiable grief and unimaginable pain for the friends, family, and community of the teens. And yet this story isn’t unique. Unfortunately, agricultural cities across the country have experienced the same trials and tribulations.

2010 was one of the deadliest years for granary accidents: 

A Purdue University report showed [there were] 51 grain bin accidents last year, up from 38 in 2009 and the most since tracking began in 1978. Twenty-five people died, and five of them were children under age 16. The previous record for grain bin accidents was 42 in 1993. (Crumb, http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/02/16/grain-bin-accidents_n_824014.html#)

The rise of silo fatalities is disconcerting in America’s current golden age of “Safety First” discourse because it implies a certain degree of indifference towards employee health. The complacency with current practices, “We’ve done it this way for years and nobody’s ever even cracked a knuckle”, is proof that the message is not getting through; deliberate inaction is far worse than general ignorance, but neither should ever be condoned.

And so it is only true that the escalation of fatal incidents will not cease until we sensibly acknowledge the inflexible tragedies of the past and strive forth equipped with the knowledge to ensure comprehensive employee protection: hopefully the perplexity of silenced youth provides clarity for that future.

Accompanying this message is VSI’s free 7 Point Silo Safety Flyer that highlights OSHA’s guidelines for safe silo practices. Please print one for your silo employees, or pass this on to someone who may need it.

Thank you.

We’re not your average Fall Protection company.

We’re Versatile Systems, Inc. Average doesn’t work here.

VSI

Skylights are not new nor are the dangers associated with them. Skylights were first conceived by the VELUX founder, Mr. Villum Kann Rasmussen and became increasingly popular in the wake of WWII. (TheBestSkylights.com)  With Europe in ruins, and struggling with shortages in viable commercial and residential space, Mr. Rasmussen's 1942 patented skylights became the perfect solution to allow the conversion of the attic from a storage space to a versatile living and working space because it allowed natural sunlight to enter, which in turn provided light, heat, and quality air to circulate these converted spaces. But the dangers of skylights weren't initially obvious which is why fall protection solutions for them lagged until OSHA established comprehensive regulations in the early 70's.

But did you know; that although Federal OSHA standard promulgates skylights to be capable of resisting a 200 pound force in every state, there is but one single state which requires a standard above and beyond Fed/OSHA? Do you know the state? 

Of course you do, it's California! 

Since the 80's there has become a heightened awareness of skylight safety. In 1989, NIOSH published their first safety alert titled: Preventing Worker Deaths and Injuries from Falls through Skylights and Roof Opening. This alert, like many others, held a red flag high and wide above skylights, opening up a discussion while becoming a resource for those unfamiliar with the subject. Since the first publication, NIOSH has continued to revised and update their findings. Click the above link and familiarize yourself with the facts because skylight fatalities and injuries can be eliminated.

That's a fact.

Versatile Systems, Inc.

We’re not your average Fall Protection company.

In case you haven’t heard of the OSC, Online Safety Community, I’ll provide you with all the information you need to know.

First off, the OSC was created by Ansell Healthcare as a means of utilizing the best feature of the internet, its ability to bring people together. Headquartered in Red Bank, NJ, Ansell is one of the leading providers of hand safety products; their gloves are helping your local mechanic in the shop as well as every soldier currently serving this country. (Read Here for why) The website has been in operation since 2008 and currently has a membership total of 3,179. They have groups, much like other social media sites, that revolve around specific safety issues which provide open forums for passionate discussion, for instance, VSI is currently involved with the “Fall Protection”,  “Constuction”, “Utility”, and “Certification and Training”. And as a member, you’re encouraged to start your own groups on any topic you wish. It’s easy, it’s free, it’s a guarantee you’ll learn something. So come join VSI and the community.

And what’s the ASSE? The ASSE is the American Society of Safety Engineers, and was established in 1911, in Des Plaines, IL. The ASSE is the oldest safety society in the nation, the oldest safety community, and today has members in 75 countries.  Their mission statement:

Today, ASSE is a full-service organization for its members and the public, providing key information and action on occupational safety, health and environmental issues and practices. ASSE members work to prevent workplace injuries and illnesses, to create safer work and leisure environments and to develop safer products, enhancing the quality of life. (ASSE)

We couldn’t have said it any better, so we didn’t.

Versatile Systems, Inc.

We’re not your average Fall Protection company.

We’re Versatile Systems, Inc. Average doesn’t work here.

This month Versatile Systems, Inc. joined the Online Safety Community (OSC), and the American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE)! We are very excited to be welcomed into these communities of proactive safety conscious people and companies, eager to lend our expertise to these new communities, and excited at the opportunity of interacting with the best and brightest. For more information on these two organizations, follow this link Safety Communities Pt. Deux.

Our first post on the Safety Community blog, found Here, explores the debate of OSHA’s Residential Fall Protection Revisions. We took our stance on the debate that applauds OSHA’s decision on the regulations as well as the date of implementation.

In agreement was our new friend Glen Givens who in turn shared his brilliant insight:  “Unfortunately, regulations do not promote safety, they mandate safety. It is the company management that promotes safety.”

Glen is absolutely right. It’s like teachers and homework. A teacher mandates students to complete homework but without parents promoting the importance of homework at home, a child may fail to understand the long-term benefits of such work.

One thing VSI understands is the long-term importance of surrounding themselves with like-minded proactive people and companies, and we know you do to, otherwise you wouldn’t be reading this newsletter.

To a better and brighter future.

Versatile Systems, Inc.

We’re not your average Fall Protection company.

We’re Versatile Systems, Inc. Average doesn’t work here.