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Episode 40 | Farm Safety Special Edition by Illinois Extension
The Illinois Nutrient Loss Reduction podcast explores efforts to reduce nutrients in Illinois waterways from agricultural runoff to municipal wastewater with host Todd Gleason and producers Rachel Curry, Nicole Haverback and Luke Zwilling with University of Illinois Extension.
Read the blog at extension.illinois.edu/nlr/blog.
Episode 40 | Farm Safety Special Edition
00:00:05:18 - 00:00:34:16
Todd Gleason
This is the Illinois Nutrient Loss Reduction podcast, the farm safety special. I'm extensions Todd Gleason. Today we'll talk with Salah Issa. He's an assistant professor in agricultural and biological engineering here on the Urbana-Champaign campus at the University of Illinois. And was demonstrating both the farm safety issues related to grain bin safety and PTO safety during the recent farm Progress Show.
00:00:34:19 - 00:00:37:27
Todd Gleason
I asked him during the show to explain the demonstration.
00:00:38:00 - 00:01:03:16
Salah Issa
Oh, yeah. Absolutely. So in our in our power takeoff, demonstration. So we have, sample power takeoff that we operate using a drill. Next to it we have a set of reaction timer so we can, we can measure how fast a person reacts. And usually it's between 0.3 seconds to 0.5 seconds that can react into, towards a buzzer sound.
00:01:03:18 - 00:01:30:28
Salah Issa
However, once we show them that we take them to to that PTO and within that same time period, the PTO revolves around itself 3 or 4 times. So we take a balloon tied to, a long piece of string, about five foot long. And, you know, using our drill, we start the, our PTO, and in about a second, the balloon is entangled and we've been hearing popping noises.
00:01:31:00 - 00:01:53:20
Salah Issa
On that. And that's our lesson that in, with a PTO demo, how often is it going to be a five foot string? Most likely it's a shoelace, or it's, loose clothing that gets entangled in the PTO. And it just will pull off arm or straight, straight down into it, and there's no way you can react fast enough for it.
00:01:53:23 - 00:01:57:08
Todd Gleason
What's your current research focus on campus at the University of Illinois?
00:01:57:11 - 00:02:21:10
Salah Issa
So I have I have several, research, research focuses going on. I'll mention one, one is actually looking to virtual reality technologies to teach safety. So we are currently looking on at, trucks and, and how to go about teaching, pre inspections and how to teach young truckers what's going wrong with their trucks.
00:02:21:10 - 00:02:53:22
Salah Issa
So we're currently building a virtual reality module to do that. That's one, one research projects we're working on. Another one is revolves around grain. Grain bin safety. So we are we're trying to test out technologies on how to, release the grain once a clump occurs and the grain is stuck within the grain bin. So, for example, currently, what we're testing is compressed air, pushing compressed air through the auger systems and into the grain bin itself.
00:02:53:22 - 00:03:11:10
Salah Issa
And we're trying to see how effective that is as a solution. And lastly, we're looking at new technologies. So artificial intelligence based technology is kind of like the the small robot that we see at the tent moving around where our testing and evaluating what kind of safety risk does.
00:03:11:13 - 00:03:15:27
Salah Issa
Does these new technologies impact, our farmers?
00:03:15:29 - 00:03:24:00
Todd Gleason
We're just a couple of weeks away from the real beginning of harvest here in Illinois, across the Midwest will be under full force by the end of the month.
00:03:24:00 - 00:03:26:16
Todd Gleason
Certainly, in the month of October.
00:03:26:23 - 00:03:32:19
Todd Gleason
What should producers, farmers, those who are active on the farm think about as it relates to safety?
00:03:32:21 - 00:03:44:25
Salah Issa
I would start with, planning ahead and be prepared. This is a perfect time to take care of your equipment. Make sure they're well maintained. If you have grain bins, make sure the grain bins are clean and free.
00:03:44:28 - 00:04:20:28
Salah Issa
Free of debris. Because these are the things that you can do now that will help you later on. As they say, you know, ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure. And that's something I reiterate over and over again. It's a lot better now to take the steps now to make sure that you're ready and prepared and that, you know, you have that you have all your equipment set up, cleaned, maintained and in safe condition before you get into the harvest where you don't have that time or capacity to think about it, you're trying to cut corners and save time.
00:04:21:01 - 00:04:23:22
Salah Issa
You just don't have the time. So be prepared. Now
00:04:23:24 - 00:04:29:11
Todd Gleason
What technologies do most farmers not have on the farm that might be available, that maybe they should?
00:04:29:13 - 00:04:42:06
Salah Issa
They're there's, quite a few technologies are coming around and I'll talk about here in a sense. Also, new pipeline technologies. So we, you know, we have researchers all over the US.
00:04:42:06 - 00:05:07:29
Salah Issa
They're they're constantly thinking and thinking about how we can make things safer. So, for example, we have, at, University of Nebraska, there's an effort to develop a small robot that can be put into a grain bin, and it can, level the grain and also remove any clumps on the surfaces. So that's one of the technologies upcoming, and hopefully will, will help farmers, be safer.
00:05:08:00 - 00:05:40:10
Salah Issa
Though it's important to note, for example, if you look at grain bin deaths, technology has shifted rapidly in the last 30 years. However, the number of entrapment that we see per year has been very steady. And and that's that's important, really at the end of it, even as these new technologies will help us. There's nothing, you can you cannot replace, taking preventative action before you start your, farm, before you start harvesting or your, planting and so on.
00:05:40:11 - 00:05:42:26
Salah Issa
That's the best way to stay safe.
00:05:42:28 - 00:05:55:03
Todd Gleason
This would be on long things like having kids around, checking to make sure electricity is in the right place, that you don't hit it all, all those sorts of things. Other advice as we finish up our conversation?
00:05:55:06 - 00:06:22:11
Salah Issa
Yes, absolutely. And they are they are services, that, that help you, for example, map all your hazards on your farms that you can use, both to help you and also to provide for emergency departments are nearby so that when they come to your farm, they know what they need to do to help, help actually reduce the an incident that occurred or for them to stay safe as well.
00:06:23:03 - 00:06:52:01
Todd Gleason
Salah Issa is an assistant professor in farm safety specialist in the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences on the Urbana-Champaign campus of the University of Illinois. His research is focused on injury prevention through predictive algorithms, evaluating new technologies, and implementing technologies, of course, that reduce or remove hazards. You've been listening to the Illinois Nutrient Loss Reduction Podcast episode 40, The Farm Safety Special.
00:06:52:03 - 00:07:02:10
Todd Gleason
The program is produced in conjunction with Illinois Extension Watershed Outreach associates, Jennifer Jones and Rachel Curry. I'm Illinois extension’s Todd Gleason.